Feeding Therapy
VitalStim Therapy is a non-invasive type of therapy that uses an electrical current to stimulate the muscles responsible for swallowing. Candidates for VitalStim Therapy are typically identified based on the results of a modified barium swallow study or a comprehensive feeding evaluation. Your child’s feeding and swallowing assessments will be used to determine if VitalStim would be beneficial in helping to improve your child’s swallowing difficulties. VitalStim is used in conjunction with traditional swallowing treatment. The combination of VitalStim and traditional swallowing treatment allows for increases in muscles strength, endurance, and coordination.
VitalStim is often beneficial for adults and children who:
- have oral and/or pharyngeal dysphagia (difficulties may be associated with: chewing, loss of food or liquids out of the mouth, lip closure, initiating a swallow);
- receive nutrition via a feeding tube;
- experience frequent bouts of pneumonia;
- have had a stroke, TBI, laryngomalacia, cerebral palsy, cleft lip and palate, Down syndrome, Prader-Willi syndrome, failure to thrive, vocal chord paralysis, etc.; and
aspirate, gag, sneeze, or cough while eating.
Our feeding therapists work closely with other medical team members to establish an appropriate plan of care and ensure progress is being made.