One Step Back and Two Steps Up and Forward: The Superior Movements of Research Defining the Utility of the Mendelsohn Maneuver for Improving UES Function

Abstract

The Mendelsohn maneuver has been used as both a compensatory strategy and a rehabilitation exercise since it was first described in the mid-1980s. Its purpose has been widely agreed upon: to improve hyolaryngeal movement and, consequently, opening of the upper esophageal sphincter during deglutition. Reports of success with the maneuver in isolation and as part of a larger regimen of treatments have been published. New technologies and research are clarifying the ways in which the Mendelsohn maneuver, as well as other treatments and strategies, impact swallowing musculature and bolus flow and provide improved understanding of the impact of various exercise protocols.