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The type of pressure which will relieve specific pains has to be worked out by the patient himself. Sufferers constantly hit upon devices which relieve them somewhat, independently of any knowledge of zone-therapy. Among the forms of relief possible are: the relief of abdominal pains by stroking the backs of the hands with a wire brush or metallic comb; relief of bladder pains by biting the tongue or the lips; relief of childbirth pains by firmly clenching something in the hands, and pressing with the feet against some rough resistant surface; relief of neuralgia by pressure upon the joints of fingers and thumbs in the zone of the pain, using rubber-bands or spring clothes-pins to produce the pressure, or pressure by fingers on the roof of the mouth.
Zone-therapy is not a cure, primarily. It is a means of relieving pain which sometimes allows the patient to “relax sufficiently to get the recuperation which enables the organic forces to overcome the local difficulty.
All sorts of simple instruments may be used by patients in pain for temporary relief. All sufferers know the relief of tightly clenching the nails into the palms of the hands. An aluminum comb tightly held does even better. The handle of a table-spoon may be used to press against the tongue for relief of pain in almost any part of the body. Patients in pain, especially women in childbirth, know the relief of press¬ing the feet against the foot of the bed. If the surface pressed against is rough—a serrated piece of metal fixed to a piece of wood, or the rough edge of a shallow box—the relief seems to be greater. Nurses also learn to stroke the backs of the hands of patients in pain. Sometimes the stroking is more effective if the material or instrument used is rough.
While an attempt has been made to classify the various pains and types of relieving pressure, and to divide the body into zones, under the theory that pressure anywhere within the zone would relieve pain within that zone, the theory of this therapy has not been definitely established. There is no complete explanation of the relation between tbe various types of pressure and the cessation of pain. It may be that the attention is merely withdrawn from the seat of pain or injury and centered, for the time, upon the point where pressure or stimulation is being given. Pain is further reduced, perhaps, by what has been called “nerve block,” a condition in which the nerves affected become less capable of forwarding the impulse of pain to the headquarters of sensation. While some pathological conditions seem to be reduced by zone-therapy, it is generally impossible to secure more than temporary relief unless the existing pathological condition is removed, whether it be tumor, or some abnormal pressure or irritation, caused by pus accumulations, gas, impactions, etc.
ZOXE-THEKAPY.—Many of you will recall having aborted a threatening sneeze by pressing the upper lip firmly against the teeth with a finger, pressing a finger tightly against the bridge of the nose, or by pressing a finger nail into the tip of the nose. When in the dentist’s chair you grasp the chair arms with might and main or squeeze the interlaced fingers with equal zeal, or clench the hands as tightly as possible. When in pain or in anger we grind and grit our teeth and clench our hands, and perhaps also press the toes firmly against the soles of our shoes. When we hit our shins or stub our toes or bump our heads, we immediately grasp the offended part and press firmly until the pain is more bearable. Colds have been aborted, dry coughs eased, croup relieved, by pressure against the back part of the tongue with a spoon handle. Hiccoughs have been checked by pulling strongly on the tongue. All these instinctive actions are natural ways of relieving pain or nerve-tension by producing some degree of anasthesia. Zone-therapy is also of some value in the treat¬ment of coughs, cramps in the muscles and in headaches.
Vibration, if properly given, and without overdosing, is beneficial to the whole body, but it should be emphasized that no form of vibration can be as effective as active exercise of the same parts of the body, for active exercise depends upon the voluntary effort of the individual taking it. It is espe¬cially in the treatment of the sick, and those below normal in health and strength, and perhaps of those who consider them¬selves too old or too sedate to exercise, that vibration is of the most decided value.
A precaution that should be emphasized in giving vibra¬tion, particularly to the spine, is that overstimulation brings relaxation, perhaps exhaustion, of the nerves and of the circulation generally. Hence vibrotherapy is a “two-edged sword,” and should not be relied upon except as an adjunct to other therapeutic measures. That is, one should not get the impression that, if a little vibration is good for one, a great deal is better and consider as unnecessary many other valuable health measures. Vibration is at best but a help; it is not a cure-all,—in fact, it will cure nothing. But in the conditions where it is of value it has effects difficult to obtain by most other procedures. Use it if you desire, but use it moderately.
Still another form of vibration is the mechanical horse. These appliances are ingeniously devised to simulate the different gaits of a horse. The movement may be made very moderate, or it may be made to resemble the trotting or gallop¬ing gait of a swift saddle-horse. There are up-and-down movements, the tilting movement, and, in fact, movements that simulate all those experienced in actual horseback riding.
Since horseback riding is known to be one of the most beneficial of all exercises, because of the peculiar and, except by the mechanical horse, otherwise unobtainable, rocking, tilting, swaying motion of the hips and hip-spinal joints, this ap¬paratus provides a most excellent type of exercise vibration. Its effects upon the spine, hips, intestines, liver, weight, digestion, metabolism, and nerves are very valuable. One who takes plenty of other forms of exercise will not need to use the mechanical horse, but those who for any reason do not exercise sufficiently, or whose exercise is not sufficiently “limbering,” or who are becoming stiff, will profit greatly by exercise on the mechanical horse. The same may be said re¬garding the vibratory massage or, rather, massage vibration, mentioned above. These appliances are somewhat expensive, and not many homes will be provided with them, but their cost would certainly not be as much as that of medical care and loss of time from business owing to illness that might have been avoided by suitable exercise. But many gymnasiums, clubs and treatment rooms are provided with these appara¬tuses and one may thus have the benefits of their use without being compelled to purchase them.
Another form of apparatus is the vibratory chair. This is a motor-driven arrangement, with an ordinary chair attached to the platform and the mechanism. It is provided with hand- holds, special attachments for the feet, an individual head- rest, and additional arrangements for grasping with the hands for vibration of the upper extremities. Hence one may, while seated in the chair, receive a vibratory treatment to the entire body, or one may so place oneself as to receive any local vibratory treatment. What lias been said earlier regarding the effects of vibration apply to that produced by this chair.
In addition to these, there is’ the massaging vibrator, of which there are several on the market. These are all electric. They produce their effects by means of eccentric discs or cams that revolve irregularly about a central axis, to which may be attached a web belt or a knotted wooden applicator (for abdominal or spinal vibration), or one may grasp special parts for hand and upper-body vibration. When the belt is used, it is placed about some part of the body, its two ends being attached to the two cams on the machine. As the cams work in opposite directions (on most of the machines) the belt is drawn for short distances across the part to which it is applied, and a massage vibration is produced. The stroke of the cams or levers may be lengthened or shortened to produce a vigorous or a mild movement of the belt. Soft, flabby and fat tissues may be appreciably toned by this treatment, the action being in some measure a substitute for exercise. When there is high blood-pressure or a diseased or weak heart, this oscillating vibrator serves as a very good substitute for exercise, or it may be used part of the time in conjunction with moderate exer¬cises. The circulation of the blood is appreciably increased by this treatment. There are numerous other conditions in which this appliance may be used with good effect.
As stated earlier, there are different forms of mechanical vibrators. The average person will not be likely to have any but the smallest and simplest kind. This is the small electric vibrator to be held in the hand and applied to any local area of the body. Several applicators are usually supplied, such as a hard ball, a flat rubber disc, a small vacuum cup of rubber, and a rubber disc with numerous projections, which fit into the vibrating mechanism. There are the larger vibrators designed for office practice, which may be placed on a pedestal or suspended from the wall or ceiling. These often have a hard-rubber twin prong for straddling the spinal vertebrae and for giving specific spinal percussion to the transverse processes of the vertebrae, as well as many other applicators for sj^ecific therapy. The hand vibrator thai has a combined vertical and lateral stroke is to be preferred, these two motions have different effects; the vertical being stimulating, the lateral being soothing and even more valuable than the vertical stroke for increasing blood circulation.
Vibration is excellent in conjunction with other measures for the preservation or improvement of beauty. It has a pronounced effect upon the scalp circulation, aiding in pro¬ducing luxuriant, beautiful, lustrous hair. Falling hair and dandruff are more or less prevented. When properly used, vibration is excellent for facial massage, stimulating the circulation in the skin, and thus improving its texture and color, and the action of its glands. When overdone, it may produce relaxation of the muscles beneath the skin and make it more or less coarse; but when properly applied it is better than the much-talked-of operation of face-lifting.
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