The first PhagiaFlex device was invented in 2009. It was called the ISO Swallowing Exercise Device, and it was made out of aluminum. That was before the inventors (Page and Jolie Parker) had ever heard of the CTAR exercise. They called their new exercise the Head Nod Against Resistance exercise. A couple of years later, research came out with the same exercise, using a ball and a much catchier name: the CTAR exercise.
Back in 2009, Jolie was a speech language pathologist, working in home health care. She asked her husband, Page, to help her make a device for swallowing exercises for her dysphagia patients. She was frustrated by the lack of effectiveness of dysphagia exercises with her patients.
Jolie noticed that the best results she got seemed to be with the Shaker exercise for dysphagia. Unfortunately though it was very inconvenient to get patients into and out of the supine position (lying down) to do this exercise. Her patients didn’t like doing it and it was really quite difficult to help them get into and out of the position, since most of her patients had physical disabilities also. She wanted an easier way to do the Shaker exercise for dysphagia, and she wanted to target the suprahyoid muscles more intensely, to really get some good results!
So, Page and Jolie started experimenting. They tried all kinds of crazy contraptions. Luckily, Page is very handy, so they were able to create lots of different exercise tools to try. The best one by far was what they called the ISO Swallowing Exercise Device, which is now called the Phagiaflex Device.
Jolie’s patients loved it. She had never seen patients be so motivated and work so hard during therapy before. And, her patients started making better progress right away! Jolie also had her patients do an exercise called the JOAR exercise with this device (the Jaw Opening Against Resistance exercise).
Over the years, they have improved the device again and again. Now, it is made out of flexible plastic. It is highly durable and springy, with the feel of a prosthetic device. Jolie has used it with hundreds of dysphagia patients with much better success than any other exercises she has ever used with patients. They also made a hands free model that slides onto an adjustable hospital tray table.
Over time, many research studies have been completed involving the CTAR exercise and the JOAR exercise, indicating good results, and even a few that used PhagiaFlex devices in the research study. It is now widely accepted as Evidence Based Practice and is currently being used by many well respected hospitals and rehab centers.
Page and Jolie Parker are both instrumental in the on-going development and management of Alternative Speech and Swallowing Solutions, Inc. They provide free training and support for use of the PhagiaFlex Devices by email or zoom.
Download a free 20 page eBook to learn more about exercises to strengthen the swallow, improve laryngeal elevation, and stretch the esophagus UES without surgery.
About the Author: Jolie Parker, M.S.CCC-SLP is a speech language pathologist who specializes in the treatment of dysphagia. She is a co-inventor of the PhagiaFlex device for dysphagia, which has been clinically shown to strengthen the swallow, improve esophageal opening and laryngeal elevation, and widen the UES during the swallow.