Brazosport Rehabilitation & Wellness provides Vital Stim Therapy for patients that experience swallowing disorders. Vital Stim Therapy is a new medical break through used in the treatment of swallowing disorders. It is an active rehabilitation program, combining the benefits of neuromuscular electrical stimulation and volitional therapeutic programming. This new therapy incorporates a specialized neuromuscular electrical stimulation system and uniquely designed service electrodes to stimulate inactive swallowing musculatures commonly found in patients with dysphagia. Using this procedure allows the therapist to implement an active therapy to create or relearn functional muscle patterns necessary to initiate or re-establish swallowing.
Before an individual can being the regime of vital stim therapy, the individual must first have a swallow video completed. This video then is used as a tool to establish correct placement of electrodes on the individual’s throat. The main goal of vital stim therapy is to strengthen weak muscles and to help in the recovery of motor –control. This procedure can be used on both pediatric and adult patents. Course of treatment consists of 2-5 sessions per week at 3-4 weeks at a time.