Abstract
Background: It has recently been shown that suprahyoid muscle exercise using kinesiology taping (KT) increases the activation of the suprahyoid muscle in healthy adults, suggesting a potential therapeutic clinical exercise for dysphagia rehabilitation. This study investigated the effect of dysphagia rehabilitation using KT in stroke patients with dysphagia. Methods: Thirty subjects in South Korea were enrolled in this prospective placebo-controlled double-blind study. Participants were randomly assigned to the experimental and sham groups. In the experimental group, the tape was attached to the hyolaryngeal complex, pulled downward with approximately 70% tension, and then attached to the sternum and the clavicle bilaterally. In the sham group, the tape was applied similarly but without the tension. Both groups performed voluntary swallowing 50 times (10 times swallowing per set, times 5 sets) a day for 4 weeks with KT applied. Outcome measures were assessed using portable ultrasound equipment. The parameter measured was the change in thickness of the tongue muscle, mylohyoid muscle, and the anterior belly of the digastric muscle. Results: The experimental group showed statistically significant changes in the thickness of the tongue muscle, mylohyoid muscle, and anterior belly of the digastric muscle than the sham group (p = 0.007, 0.002, and 0.001). Conclusion: Dysphagia rehabilitation using KT is a technique that may promote oropharyngeal muscle thickness in patients with dysphagia after stroke.
Highlights
Dysphagia has a prevalence of about 50% up to 80% in stroke survivors [1,2] and causes various complications such as dehydration, weight loss, malnutrition [3,4], and is associated with social and psychological burden that reduce quality of life for patients, family, and caregivers [5,6,7]
Inclusion criteria: Dysphagia within 6 months of stroke onset, oropharyngeal dysphagia confirmed via a videofluoroscopic swallowing study, ability to swallow voluntarily, ability to swallow against resistance of tape, a cognitive disability score of >22 points in the Mini-Mental Status Examination (MMSE), adequate communication abilities, and tongue
The dysphagia rehabilitation method using kinesiology taping (KT) is a recently reported exercise method and the possibility of this method being effective was first proposed by Park et al [42]
Summary
Dysphagia has a prevalence of about 50% up to 80% in stroke survivors [1,2] and causes various complications such as dehydration, weight loss, malnutrition [3,4], and is associated with social and psychological burden that reduce quality of life for patients, family, and caregivers [5,6,7]. The suprahyoid muscle, consisting of the geniohyoid, mylohyoid, digastric, and stylohyoid muscles, plays an essential role as primary muscle in the pharyngeal phase [12]. These muscles undergo kinematic effects such as triggering anterior-upward movement of the hyolaryngeal complex primarily through contraction during swallowing, the anterior movement to the upper esophageal sphincter (UES) opening and the upward movement to the airway closure mechanism through airway closure [13,14,15]. Results: The experimental group showed statistically significant changes in the thickness of the tongue muscle, mylohyoid muscle, and anterior belly of the digastric muscle than the sham group (p = 0.007, 0.002, and 0.001). Conclusion: Dysphagia rehabilitation using KT is a technique that may promote oropharyngeal muscle thickness in patients with dysphagia after stroke
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