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Updated: Feb 27, 2026

Simultaneous Laryngopharyngeal and Conventional Esophageal pH Monitoring
Published on: December 14, 2020
Treatment of laryngopharyngeal reflux using a sleep positioning device: A prospective cohort study
William S Tierney1, Scott L Gabbard2, Claudio F Milstein1
1Cleveland Clinic Head and Neck Institute, 9500 Euclid Ave/A71, Cleveland, OH 44195, United States.
Objective:
Laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) symptoms are often resistant to management and cause significant quality of life impairment to patients with this disease. This study assesses the utility of a sleep-positioning device (SPD) in treating LPR.
Design:
Single center prospective cohort study.
Setting:
Tertiary medical center PARTICIPANTS: 27 adult patients with diagnosed laryngopharyngeal reflux.
Intervention:
An SPD consisting of a two-component wedge-shaped base pillow and a lateral positioning body pillow (Medcline, Amenity Health Inc.) was given to patients with a diagnosis of LPR. Subjects slept using the device for at least 6h per night for 28 consecutive nights.
Main Outcomes:
Primary outcomes were Nocturnal Gastroesophageal Reflux Symptom Severity and Impact Questionnaire (N-GSSIQ) and the Reflux Symptoms Index (RSI) survey instrument. Each was collected at baseline, after 14, and after 28days of SPD use.
Results:
27 patients (19 female and 8 male; age 57.1±12.8, BMI 29.0±8.1) were recruited. At baseline mean N-GSSIQ was 50.1±22.4 and mean RSI of 29.6±7.7. Repeated measure analysis showed that subjects' total N-GSSIQ scores decreased by an average of 19.1 (p=0.0004) points by two weeks and 26.5 points by 4weeks (p<0.0001). RSI decreased an average of 5.3 points by 2weeks (p=0.0425) and an average of 14.0 points by 4weeks (p<0.0001).
Conclusions:
In patients with LPR, SPD treatment significantly improves self-reported symptoms of nocturnal reflux as well as symptoms specific to LPR. These results support the therapeutic efficacy of a SPD for patients with LPR.
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