"FacExer has been developed for the general healthy population who understand alterations in the status of the head and neck muscles strength during healthy aging. Our website highlights the need to stimulate and strengthen functional reserve, which includes the ability to swallow."
June is National Dysphagia Awareness Month. FacExer will share a facts about dysphagia that is supported by research.
It is difficult to underestimate the benefits of the physical therapy during rehabilitation process after surgeries and illnesses. A Physical Therapist implements one of the principles of the neural plasticity “Use it or Lose it” leaving stretch bands at the patient’s bedside to encourage exercising of the body muscles.
Physical weakness can affect different parts of the body, including head and neck muscles. We look very tired when we are ill. Aging also brings tiredness to our faces.
"Due to the complexity of the swallowing process, many adverse health conditions can influence swallow function. Swallowing disorders may occur because of wide variety of neurological and non-neurological conditions such as oropharyngeal or esophageal cancer, neurologic diseases such as stroke, traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and Alzheimer’s disease. Stroke is the leading cause of neurologic dysphagia. “Common complications of dysphagia in both stroke and dementia include malnutrition and pneumonia” (Sura, L. 2012)."
"Swallowing movement is intended not only to obtain nourishment but also to protect the respiratory tract. It is therefore important to understand dysphagia as a respiratory disorder when discussing dysphagia. We must be always aware of the possibility that severe dysphagia patients may develop respiratory disorder at any time, such as suffocation or pneumonia (Horiguchi, 2011)."
FACEXER – the personal exerciser for head, face and neck muscle strengthening FOR HEALTHY POPULATION, is a simple tool similar to a stretch band or dumbbells to exercise head and neck muscles, helping to feel our muscles of the head and neck during exercising and applying an external resistance during exercising.
1. Strength-training exercise in dysphagia rehabilitation: principles, procedures, and directions for future research.
Burkhead LM1, Sapienza CM, Rosenbek JC.
2. The Effects of Lingual Exercise on Swallowing in Older Adults
- JoAnne Robbins PhD,
- Ronald E. Gangnon PhD,
- Shannon M. Theis MS,
- Stephanie A. Kays MS,
- Angela L. Hewitt MS and
Jacqueline A. Hind MS
3. Effects of Strengthening Exercises on Swallowing Musculature and Function in Senior Healthy Subjects: a Prospective Effectiveness and Feasibility Study
- S. A. C. Kraaijenga,
- L. van der Molen,
- M. M. Stuiver,
- H. J. Teertstra,
- F. J. M. Hilgers,
- M. W. M. van den Brekel
4. Effects of sensorimotor exercise on swallowing outcomes relative to age and age-related disease.
Semin Speech Lang 2006 Nov;27(4):245-59
Stephanie Kays, JoAnne Robbins
5. Swallowing and dysphagia rehabilitation: translating principles of neural plasticity into clinically oriented evidence.
J Speech Lang Hear Res 2008 Feb;51(1):S276-300
Joanne Robbins, Susan G Butler, Stephanie K Daniels, Roxann Diez Gross, Susan Langmore, Cathy L Lazarus, Bonnie Martin-Harris, Daniel McCabe, Nan Musson, John Rosenbek
National Dysphagia Awareness Month Facts
June is National Dysphagia Awareness Month. Each day during the month of June, we will share a fact about dysphagia that is supported by research. We will include a citation for each fact if you are interested in learning more.
June 19: Estimates of the proportion of persons with Parkinson’s disease experiencing dysphagia vary, with the available research suggesting that anywhere from 40% to 95% of persons with Parkinson’s have dysphagia.
Citation: Muller J, Wenning GK, Verny M, et al. Progression of dysarthria and dysphagia in postmortem-confirmed parkinsonian disorders. Arch Neurol. 2001;58(2):259–264.
June 18:No pharmacologic treatment for dysphagia has been successful for patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
Citation: ALS dysphagia pathophysiology: Differential botulinum toxin response; Restivo, Domenico A. MD, PhD; Casabona, Antonino PhD; Nicotra, Alessia MD, PhD; Zappia, Mario MD; Elia, Maurizio MD; Romano, Marcello C. MD; Alfonsi, Enrico MD; Marchese-Ragona, Rosario MD, PhD 2013
June 17: Aspiration – when food, liquids, or saliva enters the airway – without a cough (silent aspiration) further increases the incidence of pneumonia to 54% in stroke patients.
Citation: Relation between incidence of pneumonia and protective reflexes in post-stroke patients with oral or tube feeding. Nakajoh K, Nakagawa T, Sekizawa K, Matsui T, Arai H, Sasaki HJ Intern Med. 2000 Jan; 247(1):39-42.
June 16: 80-90% of new oropharyngeal cancers are HPV positive.
Citation: Johnson, J. (2016, February). Oropharyngeal Cancer in the Era of HPV. Session presented at the Post-Graduate Course: Something You Can Chew On: Evidence-based Dysphagia Clinical Care at the Dysphagia Research Society 2016 Annual Meeting, Tucson, AZ.
June 15: It is reported that the prevalence of pediatric dysphagia is increasing due to improved survival rates of children born prematurely, with low birth weight, and with complex medical conditions
Citation: Arvedson, Joan C. “Assessment of pediatric dysphagia and feeding disorders: clinical and instrumental approaches.” Developmental disabilities research reviews 14.2 (2008): 118-127.
June 14: Gastroesophageal Reflux is the most common cause of solid food dysphagia
Citation: Peter Belafsky, NFOSD Webinar July 2015 “Most Common Causes of Solid Food Dysphagia.”
June 13: Approximately 50% of patients with Alzheimer’s dementia lose the ability to feed themselves within 8 years of their diagnosis.
Citation: Volicer L, Seltzer B, Rheaume Y, Karner J, Glennon M, Riley ME, et al. Eating difficulties in patients with probable dementia of the Alzheimer type. J Geriatr Psychiatr Neurol. 1989;2(4):188–95
June 12: It is estimated that every year in Canada there are 21,000 new elderly patients with dysphagia after stroke and 200,000 in the United States. Of these patients, as many as 10,000 in Canada and 100,000 in the US continue to experience dysphagia for months after the initial stroke event.
Citation: Screening for oropharyngeal dysphagia in stroke: insufficient evidence for guidelines.Martino R, Pron G, Diamant N Dysphagia. 2000 Winter; 15(1):19-30.
June 11: Dysphagia is causally linked with an increased risk of aspiration pneumonia; the incidence of which can be as high as 12% following severe TBI
Citation: Hansen TS, Larsen K, Engberg A. The association of functional oral intake and pneumonia in patients with severe traumatic brain injury. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2008;89:2114–20.
June 10: Oral stage deficits occur most frequently in patients with Parkinson’s disease and usually are the first indication of dysphagia in these patients.
Citation: Yorkston KM, Miller RM, Strand EA. Management of Speech and Swallowing in Degenerative Diseases. Austin, Texas: Pro-ed; 2004
June 9: Dysarthria (imprecise speech) and dysphagia are the most common clinical problems encountered in ALS , and can be observed as an initial symptom in 30% of patients (bulbar onset), with almost all patients developing speech and swallowing problems in later stages of the disease, even in those with spinal onset of symptoms, due to the involvement of both systems: spinal and bulbar.
Citation: da Costa Franceschini, Andressa, and Lucia Figueiredo Mourão. “Dysarthria and dysphagia in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis with spinal onset: A study of quality of life related to swallowing.” NeuroRehabilitation 36.1 (2015): 127-134.
June 8: Infection with cancer-causing types of human papilloma virus, especially HPV-16, is a risk factor for some types of head and neck cancers, particularly oropharyngeal cancers that involve the tonsils or the base of the tongue
Citation: Chaturvedi AK, Engels EA, Pfeiffer RM, et al. Human papillomavirus and rising oropharyngeal cancer incidence in the United States. Journal of Clinical Oncology 2011; 29(32):4294–4301.
June 7: Patients with dysphagia after stroke have a 3-fold increased risk for aspiration pneumonia, and this risk is markedly increased to 11-fold in patients with confirmed aspiration on videofluoroscopy after stroke.
Citation: Dysphagia after stroke: incidence, diagnosis, and pulmonary complications. Martino R, Foley N, Bhogal S, Diamant N, Speechley M, Teasell R Stroke. 2005 Dec; 36(12):2756-63.
June 6: It has been reported that 25%-45% of typically developing children demonstrate feeding and swallowing problems.
Citation: Arvedson, 2008; Bernard-Bonnin, 2006; Brackett, Arvedson, & Manno, 2006; Burklow, Phelps, Schultz, McConnell, & Rudolph, 1998; Lefton-Greif, 2008; Linscheid, 2006; Manikam & Perman, 2000; Rudolph & Link, 2002
June 5: As the nation reflects on the great achievements of the late Muhammad Ali, we want to recognize him for his support of Parkinson’s research to help find a cure. Parkinson’s affects 1 million Americans and 8 million worldwide, and can lead to lethal falls and infections due to compromised balance and swallowing.
Read More about Muhammad Ali and his battle with Parkinson’s
June 4: The degree of xerostomia corresponds with dysphagia experienced by the patients with head and neck cancer.
Citation: Dysphagia Section, Oral Care Study Group, Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer (MASCC)/International Society of Oral Oncology (ISOO), Raber-Durlacher JE, Brennan MT, et al. Swallowing dysfunction in cancer patients. Supportive Care in Cancer. 2012;20(3):433-443. doi:10.1007/s00520-011-1342-2.
June 3: It is estimated that 45% of institutionalized patients with dementia suffer from dysphagia.
Citation: Sura L, Madhavan A, Carnaby G, Crary MA. Dysphagia in the elderly: management and nutritional considerations. Clinical Interventions in Aging. 2012;7:287-298. doi:10.2147/CIA.S23404.
June 2: Dysphagia is a common complication following TBI, with an incidence as high as 93 % in patients admitted to brain injury rehabilitation
Citation: Hansen TS, Engberg AW, Larsen K. Functional oral intake and time to reach unrestricted dieting for patients with traumatic brain injury. Arch Phys Med Rehabilitation. 2008;89:1556–62
June 1: Reports of pneumonia in patients with dysphagia after stroke range from 7% to 33%, with conservative estimates at 18%.
Citation: Dysphagia after stroke: incidence, diagnosis, and pulmonary complications. Martino R, Foley N, Bhogal S, Diamant N, Speechley M, Teasell R. Stroke. 2005 Dec; 36(12):2756-63.
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Margarette 06.18.2016
All of these daily facts are not only interesting but extremely helpful. Thank you.