Journal of the Korean Dysphagia Society 2018;8(1):8-14

Therapeutic Exercises for Strengthening Suprahyoid Muscles

Ji Su PARK 1 ; Na Kyoung HWANG ; Dong Hwan OH ; Moon Young CHANG

Affiliations

+expand

Keywords

Suprahyoid muscles; Dysphagia; Therapeutic exercise; Rehabilitation

Country

Republic of Korea

Language

English

Abstract

Suprahyoid muscles play an important role in normal swallowing by providing muscle contractions involved in airway protection and upper esophageal sphincter opening. However, these muscles can be weakened by neurological disease or aging, which can result in pharyngeal dysphagia. Therefore, strengthening of the suprahyoid muscles is a clinically important treatment. In addition, it is important to know exactly how and which method is optimal. Many therapeutic exercise methods have been reported to strengthen the suprahyoid muscles, and new methods related to this have recently been reported. Therefore, this study will briefly summarize the representative traditional methods and the recently reported, relatively new methods for strengthening the suprahyoid muscles.