Effectiveness and applicability of a specialized evaluation exercise- chair in posture adjustment for swallowing

Inamoto, Saitoh E, Shibata S, Kagaya H, Nakayama E, Ota K, Onogi K, Kawamura Y. Effectiveness and applicability of a specialized evaluation exercise-chair in posture adjustment for swallowing. Jpn J Compr Rehabil Sci 2014; 5: 33-39. Aim: To evaluate the effectiveness of a newly-developed evaluation exercise-chair, Swallow Chair (SC), in terms of simplicity, applicability, and comfort for dysphagic patients, in comparison with a bed for adjusting posture. Methods: The subjects were three dysphagic patients who underwent videofluoroscopy (VFSS) and the effectiveness of the combined posture of reclining with rotation of the trunk and head for safe swallowing was evaluated. The recommended posture was adjusted and video-recorded under two conditions— using the SC or using a bed—during swallowing training, and the posture was then analyzed and compared. The evaluation criteria included the following: items necessary for posture adjustment and their number (simplicity), time required for posture adjustment (ease of use), and level of fatigue and pain experienced by the patient (comfort). Results: In all patients, SC required fewer items and less time for posture adjustment and caused lower subjective fatigue and pain compared with using the bed. The compensatory posture recommended in the evaluation was adjusted properly during swallowing training and meal consumption using the SC and all patients improved their posture along with food type and meal frequency. Conclusions: The SC is a simple, easy-to-use, and comfortable device for posture adjustment during evaluation, training, and meal consumption.