Tongue Hold

Tongue Hold (Masako)

Description: a rehabilitative swallowing exercise that will stabilize tongue for greater recruitment of pharyngeal constrictors, bringing them to meet the weakened tongue base. 

Impairment targeted: Decreased tongue base retraction, weak pharyngeal constrictors

Swallowing Stage: Pharyngeal

Example of Goal: Johnny will safely drink single cup sips of thin liquids without sign/symptoms of aspiration in 80% of opportunities given minimal verbal cues for use of strategies in order to increase ability to consume the least restrictive diet within two weeks.

Good for patients experiencing:

• Decreased tongue base retraction

• Weak pharyngeal constrictors

Hierarchy cueing system: (min/moderate/max) visual, verbal, modeling, and physical cues

Evidence-Based Practice: Tongue hold has been proven to be an effective compensatory swallowing strategy for patients with dysphagia challenges (Roth & Worthington, 2021)

Reference:

Roth, F. P., & Worthington, C. K. (2021). Treatment resource manual for speech-language pathology.