An article by Julie DeJong at the University of Western Ontario in 2016 analyzed the published evidence for a specific type of exercise to see if it was effective to improve Upper Esophageal Sphincter (UES) Dysfunction.
What was her conclusion? After reviewing and analyzing all of the data, she determined that yes, this exercise is “effective in rehabilitating swallowing function in individuals with dysphagia due to UES dysfunction.”
What is the exercise she investigated? The exercise is called the Shaker exercise. In the article, she describes the Shaker exercise as follows:
“The exercise method includes isometric and isotonic exercises. For the isometric exercise, patients are required to lie on a bed and raise their heads without lifting their shoulders, look at the ends of their feet for 60 seconds and then lower their head back down to the bed to rest for 60 seconds. For the isotonic Shaker exercise, patients are required to lay on a bed and raise their heads in the same posture and look at their feet 30 consecutive times.”
An alternate version of this exercise is called the CTAR exercise, or Chin Tuck Against Resistance exercise. This is the same exercise as the Shaker Exercise, but it is done in the upright position, with an object used for resistance, such as a ball, a towel, or the PhagiaFlex device. In recent years there has been a growing amount of research on the CTAR exercise which has shown it to be equally as effective as the Shaker exercise, and easier to do.
Both versions of the exercise work by strengthening the suprahyoid muscles, which widens the UES during the swallow, by elevating the larynx more. Since the larynx is attached to one side of the UES, when it moves, it pulls the UES open. The stronger the muscles are, the more the larynx moves, and the more this movement can widen the UES during the swallow, to help food go down better.
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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.