Hedgehog ball
The hedgehog ball is a ball from which knobs or points protrude in all directions.
Its shape goes back to the Cayman ball developed in the 1930s , a golf ball with knobs instead of dents to slow down flight. Later it was used in particular in physiotherapy (see section: Use ).
Hedgehog balls are usually sold in medical supply stores or pharmacies; they can also be found under the name Cayman golf balls under sporting goods.
Forms and variants
Hedgehog balls are made in different sizes, colors and materials. The sizes can sometimes be read from the colors.
Hedgehog balls are often made of plastic. Hedgehog balls used primarily for physiotherapy are usually about the size of a fist, air-filled rubber balls with rubber nubs sticking out in all directions. But there are also hedgehog balls made of metal and wood, which can have much sharper tips, which z. B. preferred by some psychosomatic patients.
use
The hedgehog ball can be used for physiotherapy. Patients can use it themselves or with assistance for skin and back massage; its use primarily causes a local increase in blood flow . The ball is mainly used by laying it on the floor, laying yourself on it and rolling your back over it. You can also pinch it between your back and the wall and press it with your back, roll it back and forth, and massage the tense areas with it. Therapists also often mention the foot massage under the bare soles of the feet. A masseur or partner can also use the massage ball in individually inaccessible places by rolling it by hand with different pressure. However , the hedgehog ball is not suitable for spinal problems.
As a piece of sports equipment, the hedgehog ball is used in sports-oriented courses for visually impaired people, as you can experience its roll acoustically.
In precision sports, the hedgehog ball is used on swing golf courses. This simplified variant of golf is not only played on shielded areas, but also in public green spaces, where special requirements are placed on the safety of flying balls. The hedgehog ball is used there as a Cayman ball.
Hedgehog balls are used in psychosomatics because the pressure stimulus counteracts high internal tension and z. This can also help against (partial) dissociations . Its use is known in particular in borderline patients or in the context of dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) (as part of stress tolerance skills), but is also found helpful by some other patients with high levels of internal tension.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Development of the hedgehog ball from the Cayman ball
- ↑ Press release about "Swingolf" in the spa gardens and at the hotel in Braunlage ( Memento of the original from August 12, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
