ABSTRACT

Objective : This study aims to measure the effects of an eight-week tongue-holding maneuver program as aresistive exercise on the activation of swallowing-related muscles. Methods : The tongue-holding maneuver was applied to twenty-seven healthy adults divided into experimental andcontrol groups. The experimental group performed the tongue-holding maneuver three times per day for 20minutes. The control group performed normal swallowing three times per day for 20 minutes. The effects of theweek-week experiment on the suprahyoid and infrahyoid muscles were measured using sEMG and a VisualAnalog Scale. Results : The experimental group showed a statistical significant difference in both suprahyoid and infrahyoid muscleactivities. The control group did not show a statistical significant difference. In addition, in the results of the VAScomparison of the pre- and post-training groups, the experimental group showed a statistical significantdifference but the control group did not. Conclusion : Applying a tongue-holding maneuver over an eight-week period as a resistive exercise for healthyadults showed changes in swallowing muscle activity and VAS.