"Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower, and every pumpkin a lantern." – Albert Camus
As autumn settles in and the days grow a little shorter, we hope you’re finding moments to enjoy the season’s simple pleasures, whether that’s crisp morning air, colorful leaves, or a well-earned pause in a busy day. It’s been an active and productive few months on our end, and we’re excited to share some of the latest updates, accomplishments, and ideas we think you’ll find valuable.
In this issue, you’ll find a blend of what’s new, what’s improved, and what’s on the horizon, along with practical tips to help you get even more from our products and services. Whether you’re reading with a warm cup of coffee between appointments or catching up at the end of the day, we hope this newsletter keeps you informed, inspired, and connected.
As the seasons change, we invite you to stay connected with all things IOPI. Be sure to explore both of our websites: IOPI Cares and IOPI Medical. On IOPI Medical, you'll find the latest news, research, and educational resources, including three free CEU courses designed to support your professional growth.
While you're there, take advantage of helpful tools and resources such as our Patient Advocacy materials, opportunities to connect with the IOPI team, and practical features like the Dysphagia Cost Calculator, a valuable resource for demonstrating the impact of dysphagia care. Need pricing information? Our convenient Get a Quote page makes it easy to request information in just a few clicks.
Stay up to date between newsletters by following us on Instagram @iopimedical and Facebook IOPI Medical LLC, where we share product updates, research highlights, educational content, and company news.
And don't keep us to yourself! If you know a colleague who could benefit from receiving our quarterly newsletter, invite them to subscribe through our www.iopimedical.com/news/.
Myth: A clinical swallowing evaluation tells you whether the patient is aspirating.
False, A clinical swallowing evaluation provides important information about swallowing function and can identify findings that warrant instrumental assessment, but a clinical evaluation cannot directly visualize airway invasion or determine whether aspiration has occurred. O’Horo et al. (2015) reviewed 48 studies comparing bedside examinations with instrumental assessment and concluded that no bedside screening protocol demonstrated adequate predictive value for identifying aspiration.
O'Horo, J. C., Rogus-Pulia, N., Garcia-Arguello, L., Robbins, J., & Safdar, N. (2015). Bedside diagnosis of dysphagia: A systematic review. Journal of Hospital Medicine, 10(4), 256–265. https://doi.org/10.1002/jhm.2313.
Clinician Access at Your Fingertips
Did you know we have our very own Clinical Consultant on staff? Whether you have a perplexing question or just need a bit of guidance, Ed Bice, M.Ed., CCC-SLP is always happy to help. You can schedule time with Ed by going towww.iopimedical.comand clicking on the “Schedule time with us” button. You can also reach him ated@iopimedical.com.
2026 ASHA Convention Indianapolis, IN, November 19-21
ASHA is always an exciting time for IOPI—and this year is no exception! We’re already preparing for and looking forward to reconnecting with our wonderful community of friends, clinicians, and supporters. We’re especially excited to showcase our Trainer Rental Program, now fully launched and better than ever.
If you stopped by last year and heard about the program in its early stages, you’ll notice some exciting updates. Based on your feedback, we’ve made it simpler and more accessible—making it easier than ever to support your patients with effective in-home therapy solutions.
As always, we’ll be offering a special show discount for attendees who visit our booth. And of course, our Clinical Consultant, Ed Bice, will be available throughout the event to answer your clinical questions and share insights.
Stop by and see us at Booth #1153—we can’t wait to connect with you! For registration and additional event details, visit: https://convention.asha.org/
ESSD 2026
Leiden, Netherlands, October 21-23
It has now been just over a year since our return to Europe, and momentum continues to build. With the addition of several new distributors—including France and Italy—we are excited to once again be attending the ESSD Congress.
We are incredibly proud of our growing network of partners and deeply appreciative of the dedication and commitment they continue to demonstrate when representing IOPI Medical around the world.
🌟 Share Your IOPI Story! 🌟 Have you heard about our #ILoveMyIOPIcampaign?
We’re looking for clinicians, researchers, and patients who’ve had great experiences with IOPI Medical products—and we’d love to highlight your story to inspire others.
How to participate: 📹 Record a short testimonial video (up to 3 minutes) 💬 Share what you love about your IOPI and the results you’ve achieved 📧 Send your video to Info@IOPIMedical.com
💡What makes a great testimonial: • A genuine, personal experience • Specific improvements or outcomes you’ve seen • Clear audio and video quality • Good lighting and a comfortable speaking pace • Willingness to allow use in marketing materials
✅ Submission Guidelines: • Content must be original and truthful • Use professional language in an appropriate setting • Participants must consent to potential marketing use
✨ Selected testimonials will be featured on our social channels—and you’ll receive a free box of Tongue Bulbs as a thank-you! ✨
Ready to make an impact and inspire others? We can’t wait to hear your story!
Extend Therapy into the Home with the IOPI® Trainer Rental Program
The IOPI® Trainer Patient Home Rental Program continues to help clinicians extend therapy beyond the clinic while making treatment more accessible for patients. If you haven’t explored the program yet, now is a great time to learn how it can support both your patients and your practice.
Benefits for your patients • Affordable home therapy option • Flexible rental options, ideal for short-term therapy needs • Easy access to therapy tools without the commitment of a full purchase • Training and support resources available for clinicians introducing the IOPI® Trainer to patients
Benefits for Your Practice • Encourages consistent therapy and carryover between appointments • Improves opportunities for positive patient outcomes through continued practice at home • Eliminates administrative burden, with payment processing, shipping, returns, and technical support managed for you
• Allows clinicians to maintain control over therapy plans and protocols
• Offers flexible rental periods ranging from 2 to 6 months to meet individual patient needs
With a simple process for patients and no added workload for your team, the IOPI® Trainer Home Rental Program makes it easier than ever to support therapy success beyond the clinic walls.
Visit www.iopicares.com to find out more.
Earn ASHA CEUs with Our Three (soon to be four) Free Courses
Many of you may already be familiar with our esteemed Clinical Consultant, Ed Bice, but did you know, you can learn from him from the comfort of your office or home?
IOPI Medical offers ASHA Continuing Education Units with our FREE courses. Choose from:
The Role of Oral Musculature in Swallowing and the Therapeutic Benefits of the IOPI, reviewing the oral musculature and its essential functions, as well as explore exercise principles and how the IOPI can be integrated into a dysphagia treatment plan.
Building a Therapy Program from the Ground Up, examining current evidence related to the assessment and treatment of dysphagia and providing practical suggestions for a path forward.
IOPI Research Updates, summarizing recent findings related to the IOPI.
“The unexamined life is not worth living.” — Socrates
Growth begins with reflection. Examination of clinical practice offers insight into how evidence, education, workplace demands, and experience influence decision-making. Examination of clinical decision-making and established practices creates opportunities to learn, adapt, and improve. Self-reflection represents a commitment to excellence.
The research highlighted in this quarter’s newsletter explores practice patterns among speech-language pathologists working with individuals with dysphagia. Although each study examines a different aspect of clinical care, collectively the findings provide a valuable reflection of the profession. The articles reveal areas of strength, identify opportunities for growth, and serve as the catalyst for meaningful discussion and change.
For clinicians treating swallowing disorders, reflection carries particular significance. Clinical decisions have influence on far more than physiological outcomes. Recommendations regarding assessments, diet modifications, compensatory strategies, informed consent, and patient education can affect quality of life, personal autonomy, cultural identity, and participation in meaningful activities. Decisions require thoughtful analysis and critical thinking rather than automatic reliance on habit or tradition. Each recommendation represents an opportunity to balance evidence, patient preferences, and clinical judgment in the provision of individualized care.
The studies presented in this newsletter offer an opportunity to consider how current evidence can contribute to more thoughtful and effective clinical practice. The pursuit of excellence in dysphagia care is not a destination but a continual process of learning, reflection, and growth.
Are you using the IOPI to provide biofeedback during effortful swallows?
Place the IOPI in Peak Mode with the bulb positioned in the anterior position. Ask the patient to perform three typical swallows and record the peak pressure for each swallow. Average the three measurements to establish the patient's typical swallowing pressure. Set the target at 150% of the average peak pressure (swallow pressure average x 1.5). Instruct the patient to “swallow hard while pushing your tongue firmly against the roof of your mouth.” Huckabee and Steele (2006) demonstrated that emphasizing tongue-to-palate pressure during the effortful swallow produces greater submental muscle activity, lingual pressure, and upper pharyngeal pressure than an effortful-swallow strategy that minimizes tongue-to-palate pressure. The patient can use the IOPI light array to determine whether they have reached the target, providing immediate feedback on swallowing performance.
The benefits of external feedback are well researched. Knowledge of results and knowledge of performance can enhance retention of motor patterns (Thorpe & Valvano, 2002). Feedback can speed the learning process (Magill, 1994), and can help direct the attention needed to acquire and refine a motor skill (van Vliet & Wulf, 2006). Feedback also has a motivational function that can help sustain engagement during motor-skill practice (Wulf et al., 1998; Wulf et al., 2010).
Huckabee, M.-L., & Steele, C. M. (2006). An analysis of lingual contribution to submental surface electromyographic measures and pharyngeal pressure during effortful swallow. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 87(8), 1067–1072. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apmr.2006.04.019
Magill, R. A. (1994). The influence of augmented feedback on skill learning depends on characteristics of the skill and the learner. Quest, 46(3), 314–327. https://doi.org/10.1080/00336297.1994.10484129
Thorpe, D. E., & Valvano, J. (2002). The effects of knowledge of performance and cognitive strategies on motor skill learning in children with cerebral palsy. Pediatric Physical Therapy, 14(1), 2–15. https://doi.org/10.1097/00001577-200214010-00002
van Vliet, P. M., & Wulf, G. (2006). Extrinsic feedback for motor learning after stroke: What is the evidence? Disability and Rehabilitation, 28(13–14), 831–840. https://doi.org/10.1080/09638280500534937
Wulf, G., Shea, C. H., & Matschiner, S. (1998). Frequent feedback enhances complex motor skill learning. Journal of Motor Behavior, 30(2), 180–192. https://doi.org/10.1080/00222899809601335
Exploring the efficacy of the effortful swallow maneuver for improving swallowing in people with Parkinson disease—A pilot study
Gandhi et al. studied eight people with Parkinson disease who completed a four-week effortful-swallow training program. The researchers used VFSS before and after treatment to examine changes in swallowing biomechanics, including airway invasion, pharyngeal residue, and swallowing timing. The study allowed the researchers to examine whether repeated practice of the effortful swallow could produce changes that extended beyond the immediate performance of the maneuver.
Following training, participants demonstrated heterogeneous responses across the swallowing measures. Some participants showed meaningful improvements in specific aspects of swallowing, while other participants showed little change or changes in different measures. The authors suggested that the heterogeneous responses may reflect differences in the underlying swallowing biomechanics of the participants, which is clinically important because an exercise may produce different effects depending on the specific biomechanical impairment being targeted. The findings support the need to consider the individual swallowing impairment when determining whether the effortful swallow is an appropriate rehabilitation exercise.
Gandhi, P., Peladeau-Pigeon, M., Simmons, M., & Steele, C. M. (2023). Exploring the efficacy of the effortful swallow maneuver for improving swallowing in people with Parkinson disease—A pilot study. Archives of Rehabilitation Research and Clinical Translation, 5(3), 100276. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.arrct.2023.100276.
Impact of effortful swallow with progressive resistance on swallow safety, efficiency and quality of life in individuals with post-stroke dysphagia: Analysis using DIGEST-FEES and SWAL-QOL
Five men with post-stroke dysphagia completed 20 treatment sessions of effortful swallows over four weeks with “progressive resistance.” Progressive resistance referred to increasing resistance based on IOPI measures during the effortful swallow. Resistance was set at 50% of maximum tongue pressure during the first two weeks and increased to 70% during weeks three and four. The number of repetitions also increased during the final two weeks.
Swallowing was evaluated with FEES using DIGEST. Airway protection improved significantly after treatment, and swallowing-related quality of life also improved. The study provides preliminary evidence that loading the tongue during an effortful swallow may decrease airway invasion for people with dysphagia.
Chandrashekaraiah, B., Swapna, N., & Prakash, T. K. (2023). Impact of effortful swallow with progressive resistance on swallow safety, efficiency and quality of life in individuals with post-stroke dysphagia: Analysis using DIGEST-FEES and SWAL-QOL. Indian Journal of Otolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery, 75, 2836–2841. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12070-023-03846-7
Effects of effortful swallowing against kinesiology taping resistance on the swallowing function in patients with poststroke dysphagia: A randomized controlled trial
Thirty people with post-stroke dysphagia were assigned to effortful swallowing performed against tension from kinesiology tape or effortful swallowing with tape applied without tension. The intervention was performed 30 times per day, five days per week, for six weeks. VFSS was used to evaluate swallowing with the Videofluoroscopic Dysphagia Scale and Penetration-Aspiration Scale.
The group performing effortful swallows against resistance demonstrated greater improvement in both the oral and pharyngeal components of the VDS and greater improvement in Penetration-Aspiration Scale scores than the control group. The findings provide evidence that adding external resistance to the effortful swallow can produce measurable changes in swallowing function after stroke.
Kim, H.-H., & Park, J.-S. (2024). Effects of effortful swallowing against kinesiology taping resistance on the swallowing function in patients with poststroke dysphagia: A randomized controlled trial. Medicine, 103(21), e38344. https://doi.org/10.1097/MD.0000000000038344
Effortful swallow maneuver and modifications on swallow dynamics in healthy adults
Barikroo examined 22 healthy adults using VFSS. Participants swallowed 10 mL of puree under normal conditions and while performing an effortful swallow. The study measured swallowing timing and biomechanics, including laryngeal vestibule closure, pharyngeal constriction, UES opening, hyoid and laryngeal excursion, and pharyngeal constriction ratio.
The effortful swallow prolonged laryngeal vestibule closure, pharyngeal constriction, PES opening, and overall swallow duration. In contrast, effortful swallowing did not produce a statistically significant increase in hyoid or laryngeal excursion. The findings demonstrate that an effortful swallow changes the timing and force-related characteristics of swallowing.
Barikroo, A. (2025). Effortful swallow maneuver and modifications on swallow dynamics in healthy adults. Folia Phoniatrica et Logopaedica, 77(1), 28–34. https://doi.org/10.1159/000539171
Don’t Forget to Use Your Resources:
To help you achieve the best possible outcomes for your patients, we’re committed to providing you with powerful purchasing advocacy tools and ongoing clinical support.
Purchasing Advocacy Tools
Visit our Medical Professionals page to access valuable resources designed to support your efforts. There, you’ll find the IOPI Dysphagia Cost Tool and a ready-to-use Benefits of IOPI for Dysphagia PowerPoint presentation. Simply customize the presentation with details specific to your patient’s needs to strengthen your case.
Clinical Support When You Need It
You also have expert guidance at your fingertips. Our clinical consultant, Ed M. Bice, M.Ed., CCC-SLP, is available to mentor you through the advocacy process, including assessing and reporting the estimated cost of dysphagia to your facility. You can reach Ed for a patient consultation or clinical question by calling (844) 844-IOPI or emailing ed@iopimedical.com.
To access our IOPI Dysphagia Cost Tool, the Benefits of IOPI for Dysphagia PowerPoint, and tips on advocating for your patients, please visit our website.
We’re always looking for ways to better serve you—but we can’t do that without your feedback. We’ve put together a quick survey that only takes a few minutes, and we’d really love to hear your thoughts.
If you’ve already filled it out, thank you so much! Your input helps us continue improving and providing the best experience we can.
Thank you for being part of the IOPI community. If you need guidance, resources, or support, our team is ready to assist. We’re always happy to answer questions and help you get the most from your IOPI products.
