Dysphagia and Swallowing Problems

Pharyngeal electrical stimulation is one type of therapy to treat swallowing disorders. Electrical stimulation is utilized to obtain contractions of muscles involved in swallowing that may have been affected by a stroke, brain injury, parkinson’s disease or other neurological conditions

Electrodes are placed on the throat in one of five patterns to treat specific muscles which affect swallowing. Electrode placement is tailored to teach patient’s specific needs. With electrical stimulation in place, other therapy techniques for rehabilitating swallowing are also being utilized.

Speech/Language Pathologists must be certified in order to provide electrical stimulation for swallowing. At Healthpoint Rehab, Cathy Tanksley, MA, CCC/SLP, CPCRT is certified in VitalStim and can provide this speciality treatment to help patients meet their maximum potential with the functions of swallowing.