Which of the following is NOT a swallow rehabilitation exercise commonly taught for pharyngeal weakness?

• A. Mendelsohn maneuver
• B. Chin-tuck (chin-down) posture
• C. Shaker (head-raising) exercise
• D. Effortful swallow

Answer: (B)

The main idea here is distinguishing compensatory strategies from rehabilitative exercises in dysphagia therapy. The chin-tuck posture is a compensatory technique used to protect the airway by changing the swallow’s mechanics—tilting the head down to narrow the laryngeal entrance and reduce penetration risk—without actively strengthening or retraining the pharyngeal muscles. That’s why it isn’t considered a rehabilitative exercise for pharyngeal weakness.

In contrast, the Mendelsohn maneuver, Shaker (head-raising) exercise, and effortful swallow are focused on training the swallow’s function. The Mendelsohn maneuver prolongs hyolaryngeal elevation to improve coordination and duration of opening the upper esophageal sphincter. The Shaker exercise strengthens the suprahyoid muscles to enhance overall hyolaryngeal movement and UES opening. The effortful swallow increases pharyngeal constriction and tongue-base retraction to boost bolus clearance. These target the muscle strength and timing that underlie pharyngeal strength, which is why they’re considered rehabilitative exercises.