Crook-Half-Lying Lumbar-Side-Shaking

The gymnast places the hands immediately over the patient's iliac crests and performs shaking by alternately and quickly carrying the hands backward and forward, giving pressure inward and downward.

It has the same effect as, and is used similarly to, the preceding exercise, but works specially upon the ascending and descending colon.

Crook-half-lying Lax-sitting

Bladder-shaking (Fig. 125).

Usually Bladder-shaking is introduced by a light and gentle kneading over the region of the bladder. After that the gymnast places himself in front of the patient and lays his hands, pronated and side by side, about 5 cm. above the symphysis. It may be done over one layer of clothing. While the patient makes a slow expiration the hands are pressed downward against the bladder, so that the fingers lie parallel to the posterior surface of the symphysis, and shaking is done in the form of small movements directed towards the bladder. Given several times with short pauses. If the patient feels a slight desire to pass water the shaking is given correctly. (N.B. - The bladder ought to be emptied immediately before the treatment.)

Fig. 125.

Effects And Uses

Bladder-shaking works upon the bladder as Stomach-shaking on the stomach : -

(a) The non-striated muscle fibres are stimulated to contraction, and so exercised and strengthened.

(b) Activity of the cells of the mucous membrane is increased, and consequently also their power of resistance.

(c) Absorption of the products of inflammation is promoted.

(d) Mucus is loosened and carried away.

It is used chiefly in the treatment of atony and paresis and other slack conditions in the bladder, and also for nervous disturbances of the bladder.

Contra-indications are : all infective cystitis, tumours, stone or other foreign body, and tuberculosis in the bladder.

Crook-Half-Lying Perineum-Shaking

The gymnast places his hands, with palmar surfaces closely agains one another, so that the finger-tips press against the perineum, and directs a tolerably strong shaking upward against the lower part of the bladder, or backward against the rectum, according to the desired effect. It acts as the other shakings, and is used: -

(a) With the same indications as Bladder-shaking.

(b) In treatment of haemorrhoids.

(c) In various relaxed conditions in the organs of the true pelvis.

Reach-grasp-sitting

Reach-grasp-standing

Heave-grasp-standing

Back-tremble-shaking or -vibration.

The gymnast lays his hands with the fingers slightly bent so that their dorsal surfaces lie against the patient's back one on each side of the spinal column between the shoulder-blades, and gives in this way a gentle but continuous tremble-shaking. Repeated several times. May also be given with a vibrator, when the vibrations are usually given along the whole spine.

Effects And Uses

Chiefly similar to Back-hacking. Vibrations down the back are specially used to calm the heart's action, and in treatment of diseases of the spinal cord and in neurasthenia to exercise a stimulating effect upon the nerve elements of the spinal cord.

Back-support-standing Heave-grasp-standing

Side Chest-shaking.

The gymnast places his hands at the sides of the patient's chest, over the lower ribs, and performs a shaking, at the same time compressing the chest while the patient breathes out. During inspiration the pressure is removed. Repeated six to eight times.

Effects And Uses

Expiration is helped by the pressure, while the shaking has the same effect as Chest-clapping. The interchange of gases between the tidal and stationary air is promoted.

Used specially in treatment of emphysema.

Half-Lying Chest-Lift-Shaking

Performed like Chest-lilt-stroking, with the addition of an even shaking at the same time as the stroking. Repeated five to six times and finished with a few simple Chest-lift-strokings.

Effects And Uses

Assists both inspiration and expiration and the interchange of gases. At the same time it is specially pleasant and effective, and can be regulated according to desire.

Used, therefore, with good effect in the treatment of general weakness and in heart and lung complaints.

Sitting Throat- And Larynx-Shaking

Introduced usually with a gentle kneading of the neck over the sides of the throat and larynx. The shaking of the throat is directed upward, inward and backward; larynx-shaking from side to side. The gymnast may either stand behind the patient, support the head with his chest, and work with the hands on each side of the neck, or stand at the side of the patient, supporting the head at the occiput with one hand, while the other grasps the front of the neck and performs shaking.

Effects And Uses

The mucous membrane of the pharynx and larynx is acted upon in a similar manner to the other membranes already mentioned treated by shaking. It is used in treatment of chronic pharyngitis and laryngitis and in lack of tone or relaxed conditions of the muscles of the throat and larynx.

Sitting Nose-Root-Shaking

The gymnast grasps the patient's occiput with one hand, while the other grasps the root of the nose and performs a shaking as forcibly as necessary to affect the chronic catarrh in the mucous membrane of the nose. Sometimes combined with Wing-stoop-stride-sitting Back-raising.