Dysphagia, or difficulty swallowing, is a common yet often overlooked challenge faced by individuals with neurological impairments such as stroke, traumatic brain injury and cerebral palsy. Left unmanaged, it can lead to malnutrition, dehydration, and life-threatening complications like aspiration pneumonia.
Why Early Assessment Matters
Proper assessment by trained professionals is essential to identify swallowing difficulties early. Tools like bedside swallow evaluations and video fluoroscopic swallow studies (VFSS) can help determine the severity and guide interventions.
Management is Key
Dysphagia management is highly individualised, often including dietary modifications, swallowing exercises, and, in some cases, adaptive devices or enteral feeding. Collaboration among speech-language pathologists, dietitians, and medical professionals is crucial for optimal care.
In a series of videos, Consultant Speech and Language Therapist Rebecca Boddington discusses dysphagia rehabilitation. In some cases, clients may require a clinically assessed feeding tube, which plays a crucial role in the rehabilitation journey. Learn more in Reebcca’s video below.
Rebecca says:
“I feel passionately about speech and language therapy and the ways in which our profession can enhance the independence, social participation and wellbeing of people living with communication and swallowing difficulties.”
For further information about dysphagia therapy, please contact us on 0333 090 2803 or by emailing info@healingtouchrehab.co.uk.
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