Effects of sensory and oral- motor exercises on oropharyngeal dysphagia in patients with multiple sclerosis

Introduction: Swallowing disorders are commonly observed in more than one-third of patients with multiple sclerosis. Dysphagia in these patients, decreases quality of life and increases a risk of dehydration and aspiration pneumonia. These complications are a common cause of death and morbidity in late multiple sclerosis. The aim of this research was to examine the effects of thermal-tactile stimulation & oromotor exercises on dysphagia improvement in multiple sclerosis patients. Materials and Methods: Fifteen patients with the age range of 20-50 years who had one types of swallowing disorders participated in this study. Therapeutic strategies included Thermal-Tactile Stimulation and Oral-motor Exercises. Treatment was performed for 16 sessions. Relatively, for assessing the effect of this protocol, Northwestern Dysphagia Patient Check Sheet was taken at two stages: before treatment initiation and after completion of treatment. Results: After providing the treatment protocol, dysphagia (p=0.04), oral dysphagia (p=0.03), pharyngeal delay (p=0.001) and aspiration (p=0.01) and pharyngeal dysphagia (p=0.02) improved significantly. Conclusion: Our study showed that thermal-tactile stimulation and oral-motor exercises were effective approach in improving swallow in patients with multiple sclerosis