Learning to Swallow Using Latest Technology

By Kim Maniscalco
With the holidays come hours – if not days – are spent around tables and buffets visiting family and friends. But for those whose ability to eat normally has been diminished by illness or injury, social gatherings involving food are nothing about which to be excited. In many cases, the elderly or ailing are simply left out at mealtime. However, that could all change.

One local hospital is the only facility in Florida to use the most advanced therapy tool giving patients with difficulty swallowing – known as dysphagia – the ability to strengthen and re-train the muscles used for consuming foods and drinks. HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital of Miami is offering therapy with the VitalStim Experia, a clinical device that uses neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) in conjunction with surface electromyography (sEMG) and triggered stimulation to help patients regain control of swallowing function.

Simply put, the Experia uses small electrical currents to stimulate and contract the muscles of the face and throat to reproduce the natural swallowing motion.

“As with the use of the original VitalStim therapy, the more advanced VitalStim Experia allows us to treat the actual cause of dysphagia, not just the symptom,” said Ken Peters, speech pathologist at HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital of Miami. “But the Experia also gives us visual and auditory feedback during each therapy session so we can measure the level of effort the patient uses to swallow. It brings about significant, measurable improvements in our patients.”

It is estimated that nearly 15 million Americans suffer from dysphagia as a result of stroke, Parkinson’s disease, traumatic brain injury, neurological disorders or cancers of the head and neck. Additionally, one million Americans receive a new diagnosis of dysphagia each year.

It is estimated that nearly 15 million Americans suffer
from dysphagia as a result of stroke, Parkinson’s Disease,
traumatic brain injury, neurological disorders or cancers.

The VitalStim Experia offers a wider range of modalities than traditional treatments to enhance neuromuscular stimulation and give trained therapists three different wave forms to individualize the treatment to help achieve the desired outcomes for each patient. The Experia uses NMES and sEMG therapies with stimulation to significantly speed the rate of recovery. Surface electromyography (sEMG) allows therapists to measure the effort of muscle contractions and enables better use of progressive swallow resistance exercises.

“The goal is to help every patient eat a regular diet,” said Peters. “Our team’s philosophy is to also think of our patients and their families with respect to pleasure feeding. We want patients to be able to re-connect with their families through meals. It’s an important bond.”

Peters says many of the patients now treated with Experia are multiple-stroke patients and patients in their 80s, as well as those with Alzheimer’s disease, ALS and other degenerative diseases. Regardless of these factors, since July 2008, 100 percent of patients treated with Experia therapy have increased swallow function and no longer need the assistance of a PEG tube for feeding.

Since social gatherings often revolve around the consumption of food and drinks, many patients who can no longer participate are left with a diminished quality of life. However, by improving the function of the swallowing muscles, these individuals can again enjoy going to restaurants, attending parties and maintaining their sense of social acceptance.

“We are able to improve our patients’ quality of life by giving them back the ability to enjoy meals in social settings,” said Peters. “We’re here for our patients, and we view any impairment as an opportunity for improvement.”

Ed. Note: For more information on the VitalStim Experia therapy, contact Marla Fant, marketing coordinator at HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital of Miami, at (305) 259-6404 or e-mail her at marla.fant@healthsouth.com.