Effect of a Multidirectional Chin Tuck Exercise on Swallowing Function in Patients with Post-Stroke Dysphagia: A Pilot Study

Abstract

Background: The chin tuck exercise is a therapeutic approach for improving swallowing function in patients with dysphagia. However, the clinical evidence of the effect is still lacking. Objectives: To investigate the effect of a multidirectional chin tuck exercise on swallowing function in patients with post-stroke dysphagia. Design: A two-group prospective study. Methods: In total, 14 patients with post-stroke dysphagia were enrolled and assigned to either the experimental or control group. The experimental group performed the chin tuck exercise in the vertical and diagonal directions, whereas the control group performed the exercise only in the vertical direction. The intervention was performed 20 minutes a day, 5 times a week, for 4 weeks. Videofluoroscopic Dysphagia Scale (VDS) and Penetration–Aspiration Scale (PAS) scores determined via a videofluoroscopic swallowing study were the outcome measures used for evaluating swallowing function. Results: Post-intervention, the experimental group exhibited significantly better improvement in the pharyngeal phase score of VDS and PAS score than the control group. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that the multidirectional chin tuck exercise is more effective than the vertical chin tuck exercise in improving the swallowing function in patients with post-stroke dysphagia.