Swallowing therapy

Swallowing therapy for patients with dysphagia (difficulty swallowing) includes education, safety precautions, diet regimen and exercises and strategies to improve swallow function. The goals of swallowing therapy are to prevent aspiration (breathing in a foreign object, like food, into the airway) and to improve the muscles involved in swallowing.

Two specialized techniques are VitalStim and deep pharyngeal neuromuscular stimulation (DPNS) that are stimulation therapies for candidates with swallowing difficulties.