Abstract:
A method of treatment of groups of muscles in orofacial region, of the respiratory system, and of retaining and support system of a body of a patient and including providing a logopedic aid having at least one rubbed balloon and a plurality of valve mouthpieces for inflating the at least one rubbed balloon and characterized by different degrees of difficulty with which the balloon can be inflated, and treating the patient by having the patient inflate the balloon by using in succession valve mouthpieces with an ever increasing degree of difficulty.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 09/169,507 filed Oct. 9, 1998, now abandoned. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates to a method of treatment of groups of muscles in the orofacial region, of the respiratory system and of the retaining and support system of the entire body by using an inflatable rubber balloon as a logopedic aid. 
     The subject of the invention is also suitable For the prophylaxis of hypotensions of the above-mentioned groups of muscles and various disorders in the ear, nose and throat. region, of the respiratory system and of the retaining and support system. 
     It is known that functional or organic speech defects, intonation defects and/or vocal defects in children and adults and dystonia in children and adults relating to the muscles in the orofacial region, in the respiratory system and in the retaining and support system of the entire body can be at least partly eliminated or the status quo improved both with the aid of behavior therapy and with apparatuses as aids. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In the development of new apparatuses as aids for logopedics, it was surprisingly found that inflatable rubber balloons having different material thickness and different valve mouthpieces are extremely suitable as medical-therapeutic aids for the treatment of groups of muscles in the orofacial region, of the respiratory system and of the retaining and support system of the entire body. A novel aid consisting of at least one rubber balloon and a plurality of different mouthpieces was, therefore, developed, by means of which, for example, at least six different degrees of difficulty can be achieved during the inflation of the balloon. 
     According to the present invention, there is provided a method of using a medical aid serving for the treatment of groups of muscles in the orofacial region, of the respiratory system and of the retaining and support system of the entire body, or for the prophylaxis of hypotensions of the above-mentioned groups of muscles and of various disorders in the ear, nose and throat region, of the respiratory system and of the retaining and support system, comprising at least one inflatable rubber balloon and a plurality of valve mouthpieces for inflating the rubber balloon, said mouthpieces each having a nonreturn valve and being formed in such a way as to permit training with different degrees of difficulty in inflating the rubber balloon. 
     The medical-therapeutic aid has at least one inflatable rubber balloon and a plurality of mouthpieces, each having a nonreturn valve for inflating the balloon. By means of such an aid, also referred to below as a set, it is possible to achieve the various, above-mentioned degrees of difficulty by training the muscles in the orofacial region. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The invention is described in more detail below with reference to the drawings, wherein: 
     FIG. 1 shows a view of a rubber balloon used as a medico-therapeutic aid; 
     FIGS. 2 and 3 each shows a first and second mouthpiece; 
     FIGS. 4 and 5 each shows a third and fourth mouthpiece, and 
     FIG. 6 shows a fifth mouthpiece. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     FIGS. 1-6 show parts of a medical therapeutic aid according to the present invention. In the present case, the therapeutic aid consists of a rubber balloon  1  having a neck  1   a , and five different valve mouthpieces  2 ,  3 ,  4 ,  5 , and  6 . 
     As is evident from the drawings, the essentially cylindrical mouthpieces  2 ,  3 ,  4  and  5  are formed from three different components, namely a base part  7  having the nonreturn valve, a front cone attachment  8  and a tube attachment  9 . The non-return valve is formed of grating  7 ′ (FIG. 5) and a membrane  7 ′ arranged near the respiratory air inlet  7   b . Thus, the valve mouthpiece  2  formed only from the base part  7  constitutes a first level difficulty, and the valve mouthpiece  3  formed from the base part  7  and a front cone attachment  8  detachably mounted on the base part constitutes a second level of difficulty. 
     As shown in particular in FIG. 2, the base part  7  has a respiratory air outlet  7   a  insertabe into the balloon neck la and a respiratory air inlet  7   b . When the valve mouthpieces  2  and  3  are used, the respiratory air inlet  7   b  is placed by the patient in front of the teeth, enclosed with the lips and blown up, as shown in FIG.  1 . 
     The valve mouthpieces  4  and  5  are further developments of the valve mouthpieces  2  and  3  and, for increasing the degree of difficulty, additionally have a connecting tube  9  which extends the respiratory air inlet  7   b . Like the front cone attachment  8 , said connecting tube is detachably mounted on the base part  7 . The valve mouthpieces  4  and  5  thus each constitutes a further level of difficulty. 
     The valve mouthpieces shown in FIGS. 2-5 preferably are formed of plastic. The individual components of the valve mouthpieces may be formed in different colors. However, they can also be transparent and thus, when used by the patient, indicate to the therapist whether, saliva is released when inflating the balloon, and, if so, how much. 
     Where the valve mouthpieces  2 - 5  cannot be used due to a high level of hypotension of the lips or owing to a shortened upper lip or because of the patient&#39;s individual perception of degrees of difficulty or owing to organic lip dysfunction, according to the invention, valve mouthpieces having a vent piston are used. Such a valve mouthpiece known per se is shown in FIG.  6 . This valve mouthpiece  6 , too has a respiratory air outlet  6   a  insertabe into the balloon neck and a respiratory air inlet  6   b  and preferably consists of colored or transparent plastic. 
     When the set shown is FIGS. 1-6 is used, the various levels of difficulty are passed through in succession with the balloon  1  by means of training. The individual variable in the patient&#39;s perception of difficulty should be observed. It is then possible to use the valve mouthpeices  2 - 5  and optionally also the valve mouthpiece  6  with a second, thicker-wall rubber balloon, for example with a marbled balloon, the same sequence, corresponding to the patient&#39;s individual perception of difficulty, of the levels of difficulty dependent on the type of valve mouthpieces used then once again being complied with. 
     A set according to the invention may, therefore, contain not just one single rubber balloon but a plurality of balloons which differ in their wall thickness and thus correspondingly increase the number of levels of difficulty. 
     It should be pointed out that the set described with reference to FIGS. 1-6 represents only a selection of various embodiments of the invention. 
     For example, the valve mouthpieces which can be used according to the invention may differ in shape and size from the valve mouthpieces shown, and a set according to the invention may of course contain not just five valve mouthpieces but a smaller or larger number of valve mouthpieces. 
     The utilization of a set pursuant to the invention which has shown to be especially effective under practical condition is described in detail below. 
     The set is comprised of 1 to 3 monochrome (double-walled) and 1 to 3 multicolored (marbled, triple-walled) balloons and 5 valve mouthpieces. The two types of balloons of this set exhibit different material thicknesses; however, they differ also from conventional balloons, which are generally single-walled. The valve mouthpieces are: 
     Valve I=Valve  3  pursuant to FIG. 2 
     Valve II=Valve  4  pursuant to FIG. 4 
     Valve III=Valve  3  pursuant to FIG. 3 
     Valve IV=Valve  5  pursuant to FIG. 5 
     Valve V=Valve  6  pursuant to FIG. 6, transparent 
     The set can be utilized as described below: 
     
       
         
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
                   
               
               
                   
                 Preventive Applications 
                 Therapeutic Applications 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
             
               
                   
                 For the prevention of 
                 In functional and/or organic 
               
               
                   
                 infections in the area of the 
                 disorders and impairments of 
               
               
                   
                 upper and lower respiratory 
                 speech, articulation, and/or 
               
               
                   
                 tract and the organs of 
                 vocalization 
               
               
                   
                 audition 
               
               
                   
                 As a stabilization measure and 
                 In tonic dysregulation of the 
               
               
                   
                 for the prevention of 
                 orofacial musculature, of the 
               
               
                   
                 pneumonia before/after 
                 respiratory and the support 
               
               
                   
                 surgical procedures 
                 apparatus in the range of the 
               
               
                   
                   
                 entire body 
               
               
                   
                 For the enhancement of 
                 In hypersalivation and/or 
               
               
                   
                 bronchial toilet in 
                 limited control of salivation 
               
               
                   
                 bronchopulmonary diseases of 
               
               
                   
                 various causes 
               
               
                   
                 For the prevention of 
                 For reinforcement of the 
               
               
                   
                 pneumonia immobile patients 
                 velum incheilognatho- 
               
               
                   
                   
                 [palato/urano]schithis 
               
               
                   
                 For prophylactic application 
                 In chronic, organic or 
               
               
                   
                 as an adjuvant therapy in 
                 medicinally (e.g., 
               
               
                   
                 osteo-, myo- and neurogenic 
                 neuroleptics) induced open- 
               
               
                   
                 tonic dysregulation 
                 mouth or mouth-breathing 
               
               
                   
                   
                 For enhancement of whole- 
               
               
                   
                   
                 body tonus in patients with 
               
               
                   
                   
                 limited motility 
               
               
                   
                   
                 In disturbances of various 
               
               
                   
                   
                 etiologies affecting the 
               
               
                   
                   
                 retention of bronchial 
               
               
                   
                   
                 secretions 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
     The exercises are started using a monochrome; that is, a thin balloon. The criteria for the employment of a specific valve on first-time use are summarized in the table below: 
     
       
         
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
               
               
                 Valve I 
                 Valve II 
                 Valve V 
               
               
                   
               
             
             
               
                 The Patient has no 
                 If, when blowing with 
                 Particularly suitable for 
               
               
                 problem with saliva 
                 Valve I, it becomes 
                 patients with an 
               
               
                 control 
                 apparent, that “it is 
                 extremely hypotonic 
               
               
                   
                 difficult,” for example, 
                 and/or shortened upper 
               
               
                   
                 by raising the shoulders, 
                 lip. 
               
               
                   
                 projection of the neck 
               
               
                   
                 muscles, bending the 
               
               
                   
                 upper body back and/or 
               
               
                   
                 tucking the head into the 
               
               
                   
                 neck. 
               
               
                 The patient has 
                 The patient reports that 
                 Particularly appropriate 
               
               
                 minimally active 
                 s/he has difficulty 
                 for patients who require 
               
               
                 mentalis muscles 
                 inflating [the balloon] 
                 a generally greater 
               
               
                   
                   
                 stimulus for stimulation 
               
               
                   
                   
                 of tonicity 
               
               
                   
                 These indicators can 
                 With clearly hypotonic 
               
               
                   
                 appear individually or in 
                 labial musculature 
               
               
                   
                 combination; otherwise, 
               
               
                   
                 all the criteria for Valve I 
               
               
                   
                 apply. 
               
               
                   
                   
                 Grimacing on 
               
               
                   
                   
                 swallowing 
               
               
                   
                   
                 Hyperactive mentalis 
               
               
                   
                   
                 muscle 
               
               
                   
                   
                 In the presence of 
               
               
                   
                   
                 limited saliva control, 
               
               
                   
                   
                 with hypersalivation 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
     After selection of the valve mouthpiece, the blowing technique is practice, for example, as follows: The patient bites down lightly with the lips initially open. 
     Meanwhile, the therapist checks that the lower jaw is not thrust forward. The patient then places the valve in front of the teeth and forms a purse (=the lips are pointed forward) and then surrounds the valve with the lips and blows. When doing this, the patient must breathe in through the nose and encircle the valve with the lips and blow. When doing this, the patient must breathe in through the nose and encircle the valve with lips. The therapist checks whether abdominal breathing is begun and assures that breathing occurs in a regular rhythm. She checks that the patient loosely closes the teeth. After the 3 rd  forced expiration the patient should support the balloon from below using his/her free hand. 
     Additional preliminary exercises using the clear Valve  5  ( 6 ) are necessary for patients with saliva problems. Using said valve, the therapist can observe whether, and if so, how much saliva is discharged during inflation. If the problem is severe, practice is initially done with the balloon for as long as is required to be able to produce  5  consecutive “dry” forced exhalations through Valve V. 
     After successful practice of the blowing technique, the patient can start independent practice, whereby Valves I-V provide a variable increase in inflation resistance, taking into account the individual capacity of the patient. 
     The therapeutic effect or effective prophylaxis is thus provided. 
     The selection valve is used until the balloon is easily inflated in 6-10 uninterrupted forced expirations. 
     The degree of difficulty during inflation is initially increased by changing valves, whereby the level of difficulty increases for I-V. When the level of difficulty can no longer be increased, the multicolored, marbled balloons are used. When this is done, valve selection is again necessary, beginning with Valve  1  ( 2 ). The level of difficulty is again increased by the appropriate change of valve. 
     The system is always exercised using abdominal breathing in the standing position, without shoes and in front of a large mirror. The lips close (loosely) around the valve for the duration of the forced expiration. The forced expiration must be produced without involvement of the buccinator muscles. Generally, the inventive system is used until spontaneous lip closure and-this applies to myofunctional therapy appropriate tonus in the orofacial musculature is obtained. 
     Regular practice is essential. In myofunctional therapy, having the patient inflate one balloon several times using at least one valve approximately 1-2× weekly individual exercise has been shown to be effective. 
     The duration of the individual exercises varies depending on the starting situation and must be adapted to the individual patient. 
     Though the present invention was shown and described with reference to the preferred embodiments, various modifications of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art and therefore, it is not embedded that the invention be limited to the disclosed embodiment and for details thereof, and the present invention includes all variations and/or alternative embodiments within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by appended claims.