Why I’m Still Talking About “Chin Tuck Against Resistance” After My Paper Got Rejected

Posted by: Prasanna S Hegde Date: 02-07-2026

Let me tell you a short story about how one small question turned into a bigger conversation.

A few months ago, I submitted a Letter to the Editor to Dysphagia, the leading international journal in swallowing disorders. In it, I politely suggested that the name Chin Tuck Against Resistance (CTAR) — one of the most popular exercises in dysphagia rehabilitation — might benefit from terminological clarification.

My core argument was straightforward:

• In dysphagia, “chin tuck” means forward flexion (chin toward chest).

• In physical therapy and postural rehab, “chin tuck” usually means cervical retraction (head pulled straight back).

• This creates unnecessary confusion, especially in multidisciplinary teams. More importantly, the actual movement in CTAR is clearly forward/downward flexion, so the name may not be the most accurate or clear.

I believed (and still believe) that precision in clinical terminology matters for teaching, patient safety, and collaboration.

The Rejection

A few weeks later, the journal responded. The decision was reject. One of the reviewer/editor comments stood out: “this wouldn’t get a publishable score.”

That stung. Not because I expected instant acceptance, but because the issue itself — clear communication in patient care — feels important. Rejections are normal in academia, but they shouldn’t silence important discussions. So I decided to bring the conversation into the open.

Turning Rejection into Action: The Survey

Instead of letting it end there, I created a short anonymous survey to hear directly from practicing clinicians.

Current status: I have received 36 responses so far. Goal: Reach 100 responses, with a strong majority (at least 60–70) from professionals with more than 5 years of experience in dysphagia.

The survey asks simple but important questions:

• How do you interpret the term “chin tuck”?

• Have you experienced confusion between dysphagia and postural therapy terminology?

• Would alternative names like Chin Down Against Resistance (CDAR), Chin Forward Against Resistance (CFAR), or Head Flexion Against Resistance (HFAR) feel clearer?

Early responses already show interesting patterns (I’ll share detailed results once we hit 100).

Why This Still Matters

Even if the journal didn’t see it as “publishable,” the reality is that terminology affects real clinical practice. Misunderstanding a name can lead to incorrect cueing, mixed messages between SLPs and PTs, or confusion among students and new graduates.

Global acceptance of a term doesn’t automatically make it the best or clearest name. Science and clinical practice improve when we occasionally question the familiar.

I’m not here to “cancel” CTAR — the exercise itself is valuable and well-supported by research. I’m simply asking whether we can name it more precisely for the next generation of clinicians and patients.

Join the Conversation

If you are a speech-language pathologist, dysphagia clinician, student, or researcher, I would genuinely value your input.

Take the survey here: https://forms.gle/fy4MFJ4YjuMijj1GA

It takes less than 3 minutes. Whether you have 40 years of experience or are newly qualified — your perspective matters. Once we reach 100 responses, I’ll analyze the results and share them openly (with breakdowns by experience level and region). I may also prepare a revised, data-informed version to submit elsewhere.

Rejection isn’t the end of the story — it’s just one chapter. The real story is what the dysphagia community thinks.

I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments. Have you ever experienced confusion with the term “chin tuck”? Do you think the name should stay as CTAR, or would a small change help?

Let’s keep the discussion going — for the sake of clearer teaching and better patient care.

Reference:

• Yoon et al. (2014). Chin Tuck Against Resistance (CTAR). Dysphagia.