Therapy for Hyperfunction and Muscle Tension Flashcards
indirect techniques
- head and neck exercises
- chewing techniques
- progressive relaxation
direct technique
laryngeal massage/digital manipulation
types of head and neck exercises
- chin
- head turns
- head tilts
- jaw open wide
- jaw forward thrust
- shoulder shrugs
- shoulder blade pinch
- shoulder circles
- head roll
- shoulder stretch
chin exercise
- look straight ahead and extend your head out over your body
- hold in this position for 3 seconds and then drop your head down to your chest
head turn exercise
- look straight ahead
- turn your head toward your right shoulder for 3 seconds
- turn your head back to the center and then toward your left shoulder for 3 seconds
- do not turn your body, only your head
- always focus your eyes out over a distance of 6-8 feet
head tilt exercise
- look straight ahead
- center your attention on an object in front of you
- tilt your head sideways to the right shoulder and hold for 3 seconds
- bring back to beginning position and tilt head to the left shoulder for 3 seconds
- do not raise shoulders to meet ears and always focus on the object in front of you
jaw open wide exercise
- open mouth as wide as you can and fold for 3 seconds
- exhale gently as your mouth opens
- close mouth
- air will gently flow back in through your nose
jaw forward thrust exercise
move bottom jaw forward to mimic an underbite and hold for 3 seconds
shoulder shrug exercise
- raise and lower each shoulder one at a time making sure that each shoulder is down before the other goes up
- breathe out each time you lower a shoulder
shoulder blade pinch exercise
- pull shoulder blades back simultaneously, trying to pinch the blades together
- hold this for 3 seconds than relax forward
- breathe out as you relax the shoulder to its resting position
shoulder circle exercise
- move your shoulders forward, down, back in a circular motion
- reverse the direction
- rotate each shoulder for 30 seconds
head roll exercise
- drop your head forward and roll your head slowly from one side to the other and back again
- do not force the movement
- the movement should resemble a pendulum
- as the muscles relax, try to produce a smooth vocal sigh
- listen for clear tone
shoulder stretch exercise
- place left elbow in right hand with left hand on right shoulder and pull gently on left arm
- do the same for the right arm
- do this exercise 3 times for each arm
chewing technique: step 1
sit looking into a mirror
chewing technique: step 2
pretend to chew a piece of cotton candy
chewing technique: step 3
chew in a relaxed manner with the mouth opening and closing
- use exaggerated movements of the tongue and mouth
- pretend to be moving the cotton candy around in your mouth
chewing technique: step 4
begin to phonate quietly while chewing
- the movements of the tongue should change the sound of the phonation
- phonation on “ah” or “uh”
- you may want to put an /n/ or /l/ in front of the vowel
chewing technique: step 5
chew/phonate on exhalation until relaxed voice is achieved
- each repetition should last 3-5 seconds
chewing technique: step 6
simultaneously chew/phonate and begin to produce 2 or 3 word phrases such as “Miami”, “New London”, “Marina”, “Yolanda”, “I am in”, “I am over”, and “I am up”
- alternate between phrase and vowel production
- always begin your phonation on an exhalation
chewing technique: step 7
when phonation of short phrases is relaxed while chewing, move onto longer sentences using different pitches and intensities
- gradually reduce the exaggerated chewing but remember to open for all vowels
chewing technique: step 8
cotinue this daily until tension in the larynx is diminished for conversational speech
progressive relaxation: step 1
sit in a comfortable position so you feel relaxed with your head facing forward
progressive relaxation: step 2
breathe in and out slowly with eyes closed
- concentrate on the breathing
progressive relaxation: step 3
raise your eyebrows to tense up the forehead
- release after 5-7 seconds and let the forehead totally relax for 10 seconds
- be aware of how the relaxation feels
progressive relaxation: step 4
squeeze your eyes close tightly
- focus on how the tension feels
- release after 7 seconds and allow your eyes to be completely relaxed
- how does that relaxation feel?
progressive relaxation: step 5
crinkle up your nose and hold for 7 seconds
- think about how that feels
- relax and be aware of what the relaxation feels like
progressive relaxation: step 6
tighten up your jaw
- bite together for 5-7 seconds
- pay attention to how that tension feels
- release and let your jaw become totally relaxed
- be aware of how relaxed your jaw feels
progressive relaxation: step 7
squeeze your larynx for 7 seconds as if you are swallowing
- feel how that tension feels
- relax and allow your laryngeal area to become completely free from tension
- focus on how that relaxation feels
progressive relaxation: step 8
between each area, the person who administers this technique can remind the client to relax and think of their breathing
- breathe out slowly as you relax
- use a quiet, peaceful tone of voice with the client
laryngeal massage/digital manipulation: step 1
have the client phonate /a/ while you massage his/her neck and watch for any signs of discomfort
laryngeal massage/digital manipulation: step 2
begin on the hyoid bone which is located above the thyroid notch
- use the thumb and middle finger to massage in a circular motion
- move anterior to posterior, slowing down as you move posteriorly
laryngeal massage/digital manipulation: step 3
use the same motion, but on the thyrhyoid space
- this space may be absent in extremely tense larynxes
- as the tension reduces, this space should open up
laryngeal massage/digital manipulation: step 4
place your thumb and middle finger on the upper portion of the thyroid cartilage and massage in a slow circular and downward motion
- you want to try to move the larynx into a lower position in the neck
