Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Effects Of Laryngeal Restriction On Pharyngeal Peristalsis And Biomechanics: Clinical Implications, Rita Shaker, Patrick Sanvanson, Gokulakrishnan Balasubramanian, Mark Kern, Ashley Wuerl, Allison Hyngstrom

Physical Therapy Faculty Research and Publications

To date, rehabilitative exercises aimed at strengthening the pharyngeal muscles have not been developed due to the inability to successfully overload and fatigue these muscles during their contraction, a necessary requirement for strength training. The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that applying resistance against anterosuperior movement of the hyolaryngeal complex will overload the pharyngeal muscles and by repetitive swallowing will result in their fatigue manifested by a reduction in pharyngeal peristaltic amplitude. Studies were done in two groups. In group 1 studies 15 healthy subjects (age: 42 ± 14 yr, 11 females) were studied to determine …