Electrical Stimulation for the Treatment of Dysphagia

Dysphagia is the term used to describe swallowing disorders usually resulting from a neurological or physical impairment of the oral, pharyngeal or oesophageal mechanisms. Difficulty with swallowing may have life threatening consequences and can lead to an impaired quality of life. Electrical stimulation has recently become of interest to clinicians working with people presenting with dysphagia due to its rehabilitation potential especially for pharyngeal stage swallowing disorders. The electrotherapies for dysphagia can be divided into two main groups; those that are peripherally delivered and those where the stimulation is delivered cortically. This chapter outlines a number of electro-therapies as treatment approaches for dysphagia. The rationale for the use of each technique in the treatment of dysphagia is explained and an overview of the current published literature reported.