The Effects of Neck Brace Wearing and Head Angle Changes on the Easiness of Water Swallowing in Young Healthy Subjects

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  • MIZUNO Tomohito
    Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Health Care Sciences, Himeji Dokkyo University
  • YAMAMURA Chie
    Graduate School of Rehabilitation, Department of Eating Disorder and Dysphagia, Niigata University of Rehabilitation

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Other Title
  • 若年健常者における頸椎装具使用時の頭部の角度変化が水嚥下のしやすさに与える影響

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Abstract

<p>Purpose: We performed this study to investigate the effects of neck brace wearing and head angle changes on the easiness of water swallowing.</p><p>Subjects and Methods: The subjects were 27 healthy persons (age, 22.5±3.5 yr).</p><p>They took one of the following 4 head positions: intermediate angle without a neck brace (I-), extended angle without a neck brace (E-), intermediate angle with a neck brace (I+), and extended angle with a neck brace (E+). The easiness of water swallowing was evaluated by following methods: the amount of unrestricted mouthful water (AUMW), maximum water volume at one swallow (MAXV), and subjective easiness of water swallowing represented by the easiness of sipping water (ESI), the easiness of swallowing (ESW), and the easiness of water sliding down the throat (ESL).</p><p>For statistical analysis, two-way ANOVA with repeated measurement and multiple comparison test were used with the level of significance set at p<0.05.</p><p>Results:</p><p>1. For AUMW, only I+ was significantly less compared to the three other head positions (p<0.01).</p><p>2. For MAXV, I- and I+ was significantly less than E- and E+ (p<0.01).</p><p>3. For ESI, the VAS value of I- was significantly smaller than that of E- (p<0.01). The VAS value of I+ was significantly smaller than that of E+ (p<0.01).</p><p>4. For ESW, the VAS value of I+ and E+ was significantly smaller than that of I- and E- (p<0.01).</p><p>5. For ESL, the VAS value of I- and I+ was significantly smaller than that of E- and E+ (p<0.01).</p><p>The VAS value of I+ and E+ was significantly smaller than that of I- and E- (p<0.01).</p><p>Conclusions: Both head angle changes and neck brace wearing exerted influences on each index of the easiness of water swallowing. It was suggested that adjustment of head angle is effective in order to facilitate water swallowing while wearing a neck brace.</p>

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