Ridley Park, Pa. — For the many people suffering from dysphagia — or difficulty swallowing — every sip of liquid or bite of food can be nerve-wracking. Whether it’s the result of a serious medical condition like stroke or a byproduct of the aging process, the condition can leave those afflicted by it gagging, choking and in pain every time they try to swallow.
While traditional dysphagia treatment methods have been proven effective in many patients, others with more challenging conditions are now turning to a new procedure currently being performed at Taylor Hospital, a member of the Crozer-Keystone Health System. Called VitalStim® Therapy, the technique uses small electrical currents to stimulate the muscles responsible for swallowing, allowing trained specialists to help patients strengthen and “re-educate” their muscles through rehabilitation.
“VitalStim® Therapy is a great adjunct to traditional therapy methods, like speech therapy and lifestyle modifications,” says Shelley Slott, MSCCLSP, a speech pathologist at Taylor Hospital who is certified to perform the VitalStim® procedure. “It gets patients swallowing more quickly than traditional methods alone. Sometimes traditional methods just don’t work, so this is a great technique to have in our bag of tricks.”
VitalStim® Therapy is a Food and Drug Administration-approved method of delivering neurological electrical stimulation to the muscles used for swallowing. Experts have long known that electrical stimulation can help restore muscle function, but because of the sensitivity of the neck muscles and proximity of the nearby carotid artery, such stimulation was considered too risky for dysphagia patients.
By lowering the amount of electrical current used, specialists have made the technique available to these patients.
VitalStim® Therapy has been in use at Taylor since May 2004, and has successfully been used to treat about a dozen patients.
“We’ve had a very high rate of success among patients using VitalStim® Therapy,” says Scott Law, administrative director of Rehabilitation Services for Taylor Hospital. “We’re very pleased to be able to offer the procedure as a therapy option for both inpatients and outpatients.”
A typical treatment plan for a patient with dysphagia includes speech therapy to stimulate the swallowing muscles, as well as oral motor exercises. Patients will usually undergo a video swallow study and functional evaluations to determine the severity of their condition and whether VitalStim® Therapy could be beneficial.
“Due to a number of factors, not all patients are candidates for VitalStim® Therapy,” Slott says. “For example, the procedure cannot be performed on people with dementia or severe reflux, and the patient must be able to physically tolerate the stimulation. It also helps when the patient wants to swallow and wants to try to do whatever they can to be able to eat. Patient cooperation is key to successful treatment.”
Slott praises the effectiveness of VitalStim® Therapy on a recent patient at Taylor Hospital.
“The patient had multiple conditions, including stroke and heart disease, and had been on a ventilator for quite some time,” she says. “The patient was choking on food and the muscles were not working properly. However, after working every day with VitalStim® Therapy, the patient was able to eat without choking, moved up through the dietary levels, and by the time of discharge was eating a normal diet. That was a great success story for the patient, for us and for the therapy.”
VitalStim® Therapy is available for inpatient and outpatient use at Taylor Hospital. For more information on the procedure, call the hospital’s Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Department at (610) 595-6540.
Taylor Hospital is a member of the Crozer-Keystone Health System. We’re 5 hospitals, 2,600 doctors and nurses, and 7,100 caring people with 1 vision. Crozer-Keystone. Something to feel good about.