Swallowing Therapy
VITALSTIM therapy
VitalStim Therapy is the only FDA approved neuromuscular electrical stimulation therapy for treatment of swallowing disorders.
VitalStim Therapy uses small electrical currents to stimulate the muscles responsible for swallowing. During treatment, small electrodes are placed externally on the patient’s neck and connected to the VitalStim unit continuously for an hour. The current provides a painless electrical stimulation, which facilitates pharyngeal muscle contraction helping to “re-teach” functional muscle-use patterns. Patients feel varied sensations along with contraction such as tingling, crawling or a grab sensation during therapy. Literature has indicated that 10-15 sessions may be required to achieve the desired outcomes in swallowing function ( Freed et al 1998). Evidence on the efficacy of this treatment method is building with twenty over research projects being undertaken at various centres. A recent study at the Wake Forest University (Christiaanse et al 2005) on 30 paediatric clients revealed improvement in swallow function in 57% of the clients.
Referrals can be made by any medical specialist. Patients may also request for this service. 'Following a clinical evaluation of swallow function, a Videofluoroscopic assessment of swallowing will be recommended by the Speech Therapist to decide on candidacy for VitalStim Therapy. This test is repeated at the end of the therapy program to evaluate change in swallow status and plan for subsequent management
For more details on VitalStim Therapy visit the website: www.vitalstimtherapy.com or ask your Speech-Language Therapist.
