Following the launch of our Dysphagia Service, this article provides an overview of the effective treatment and rehabilitation.

Eating, drinking and swallowing are complex skills often taken for granted. A neurological injury, progressive neurological condition or respiratory conditions such as COPD can impair these skills. Eating and drinking have significant social and emotional value, therefore, when compromised, quality of life and well-being may suffer.

What is Dysphagia?

Dysphagia is the medical term for difficulty swallowing. People living with dysphagia may experience distressing symptoms such as coughing and choking when eating and drinking. This may also result in medical complications such as pneumonia and, in some cases, repeat hospitalisation.

Our Dysphagia Service

Speech and Language Therapists play a critical role in identifying, assessing, managing and rehabilitating oropharyngeal dysphagia.

Consultant Speech and Language Therapist Rebecca Boddington leads our recently launched dysphagia service. She has over nine years of postgraduate experience working with adults who have eating, drinking, and swallowing difficulties. She is passionate about helping clients achieve their goals through comprehensive assessment, therapy, training, and support. Motivated by best practice and the best available evidence in the context of needs, Rebecca works with clients and their families to formulate a personalised and achievable plan.

Expiratory Muscle Strength Training (EMST)

Expiratory muscle strength training (EMST) is a dysphagia rehabilitation approach that has been shown to improve airway protection, swallow strength, and functional eating and drinking across populations of people living with neurological dysphagia (Pitts et al., 2008; Chiara et al., 2011; Moon et al., 2017; Plowman, 2018).

EMST involves using a handheld device to train the expiratory muscles against resistance. These muscles are integral to the safety and effectiveness of swallowing and coughing.


Aspire EMST 150 device

This article explains more about how EMST improves swallowing and respiratory outcomes.

Expiratory muscle strength training improves swallowing and respiratory outcomes in people with dysphagia: A systematic review – PubMed (nih.gov)

Healing Touch Rehab offers comprehensive, clinical swallowing evaluation and rehabilitation programmes with client-led goals. EMST is just one of the tools available to our clinicians to support clients through their rehabilitation.

Ethics and Decision-Making

Eating and drinking are social and emotional activities that are also medical necessities. The implications of swallowing difficulties for physical and mental well-being cannot be underestimated. Restrictive management, such as avoiding certain foods or modifying textures, often compounds the problem. Decision-making is often complex and requires the integration of evidence, wishes, experience, and legislation, such as the Mental Capacity Act.

Healing Touch Rehab’s new dysphagia service can offer a wealth of experience in managing the ethical complexities of dysphagia care and rehabilitation. We can provide a personalised service that allows you the time to fully account for your needs and priorities in relation to eating, drinking, and swallowing.

If you are living with dysphagia and would like to explore what could be possible, please do get in touch by calling 0333 090 2803 or emailing info@healingtouchrehab.co.uk.