Hiccups: The Bollenbach Manouver

After a two-month study, the author is pleased to announce in this peer-reviewed journal a possible new cure for the hiccups.

At the first sign of hiccups, the volunteer in our study asked himself to place his thumb directly on the windpipe at the suprasternal notch (the collarbone notch), and hold with steady but light pressure. This is followed with a breathing and slight burping exercise. In our study, the effect is almost instantaneous and highly effective, and the hiccups do not recur.

The procendure is as follows:

1. Find the suprasternal notch (the collarbone notch) at the base of the throat with your thumb.

2. Apply light but steady pressure with the thumbtip directly to your windpipe at the suprasternal notch. You should feel the pressure but the sensation should not be in any way unpleasant. Keep breathing steadily.

3. Now, while maintaining thumb pressure, try to burp a small volume of air that feels like it is trapped in your upper throat. You can feel that this is very different from burping from your stomach. You may have to do this twice, until there seems to be no air bubble.

4. After this small upper throat burp, maintain thumb pressure for a further 5 or so seconds; breath steadily and evenly for this time.

5. Release thumb pressure and keep breathing evenly. That should do it.

The results of this procedure were so successful for our study subject that a small scientific double-blind study may be warranted, testing this procedure against traditional cures and a control.

Any results you can report would be most welcome.