This site collects information about you. To learn more about what we collect and how we use that information, see our Privacy Policy.
If you do not wish DJO to share your information with our partners, please make adjustments in our Privacy Policy section.

VitalStim Therapy

About VitalStim Therapy

Dysphagia is defined as difficulty with swallowing. It can occur as a result of a stroke or other neurological disease, normal aging or after a long period of inactivity.

An estimated >16 million US, 30 million European and 10 million Japanese elderly citizens suffer from dysphagia1. People who don’t eat or drink enough are more likely to become ill or experience longer recovery times. In addition, patients with dysphagia carry a large psychological burden; many develop depression and withdraw from society because sharing of food and drink is such a big part of daily life. The management of this condition consists mainly of diet modification to decrease choking episodes; a feeding tube may be inserted in the stomach. In the last few years, new treatment options have become available – especially the use of electrical stimulation. This exciting treatment tool, VitalStim® Therapy, is showing excellent outcomes for many patients. It is simple for trained clinicians to administer and is pain free for the patient.

SYMPTOMS

In addition to difficulty swallowing, Dysphagia can cause additional discomfort, and people suffering from Dysphagia may show the following signs and symptoms:

  • Long time to swallow
  • Altered voice, may sound wet
  • Rattling breath
  • Slurred voice
  • Often getting food and drink "wrong in the throat"
  • Food residues left in the mouth
  • Frequent respiratory infections
  • Weight loss

VitalStim is used at all stages of the rehabilitation phase. The method is used in hospitals, municipalities and specialised rehabilitation centres. In hospitals, the method is widely used, from when the patient is in the intensive care unit to when they are moved to further rehabilitation. VitalStim is used when the patient has been discharged from the hospital and is to continue his or her rehabilitation course. VitalStim is used for both adults and children. There are also few private occupational therapists who offer treatment with VitalStim.

How does it work?

VitalStim Plus neuromuscular electrical stimulation helps recruit and re-educate muscles in the process of swallowing.

The VitalStim® Therapy System is an adjunctive modality to traditional exercise that unites the power of electrical stimulation with the benefits of swallowing exercises. Combining VitalStim and traditional therapy allows clinicians to accelerate strengthening, restore function, and help the brain remap the swallow. Research supports the combination of these therapies to improve treatment outcomes.

Under the guidance of a clinician, patients partner in an interactive therapy that aids muscle strengthening to rehabilitate swallowing. sEMG biofeedback helps to increase effort and duration of swallowing attempts and to improve coordination. It also offers the potential for objective evaluation of swallowing function and patterns.2

Want to learn more?

Watch this short introduction to Dysphagia

WATCH VIDEO

Benefits of VitalStim Therapy

Vitalstim Treatment

The VitalStim waveform is delivered in Co-Contraction Mode. Up to four separate channels deliver stimulation concurrently and pause at the same time. This allows for the stimulation of multiple muscle groups simultaneously.

VMS Treatment

Customise your treatment protocol by adjusting the parameters of your choice, such as Phase Duration, Frequency, and work and Rest Time.

VMS treatment offers even more flexibility by allowing you to sequence the stimulation in the various channels to more closely match the natural swallowing sequence.

Vitalism Product Benefits

sEMG Treatment

Electrical signals in the muscle are measured and displayed on a screen and are amplified into sounds that the patient can hear. This feedback increases patient effort and participation, and provides the data and documentation required to measure patient outcomes and quantify progress.

sEMG + Triggered Stim

The patient initiates the swallowing exercise with the assistance of sEMG biofeedback. When the set threshold is reached, VitalStim Plus will switch to stimulation mode to increase the effort and exercise load. This mode is particularly useful for patients with weak or uncoordinated swallowing.

Want further information

Request a quote

Featured Products

VitalStim Plus Electrotherapy
and SEMG Biofeedback System

Explore Product

VitalStim Adult
Electrodes
50 pack

Explore Product

VitalStim
Plus
Stand

Explore Product

FAQ

References

There are plenty of studies on NMES and VitalStim Plus, which have shown, among other things, that NMES combined with conventional methods gave a significantly increased result compared to only conventional methods(3,4), including after stroke(5), brain injuries(6), and for dysphagia arising after treatment of head/neck cancer(7). Treatment with VitalStim has been shown to be both safe and effective(8).

Below is just a small selection of the studies on NMES and VitalStim:

  1. 1 Crary MA, Carnaby Mann GD, Groher ME, Helseth E. Functional benefits of dysphagia therapy using adjunctive sEMG biofeedback. Dysphagia. 2004; 19(3):160-4.
  2. 2 Crary MA. A direct intervention program for chronic neurogenic dysphagia secondary to brainstem stroke. Dysphagia. 1995; 10(1):6-18.
  3. 3 Kushner, D. S., Peters, K., Eroglu, S. T., Perless-Carroll, M., & Johnson-Greene, D. (2013). Neuromuscular electrical stimulation efficacy in acute stroke feeding tube-dependent dysphagia during inpatient rehabilitation. American Journal of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, 92(6), 486–495.
  4. 4 Huang, K. L., Liu, T. Y., Huang, Y. C., Leong, C. P., Lin, W. C., & Pong, Y. P. (2014). Functional outcome in acute stroke patients with oropharyngeal Dysphagia after swallowing therapy. Journal of Stroke and Cerebrovascular Diseases, 23(10), 2547–2553.
  5. 5 Xia, W., Zheng, C., Lei, Q., Tang, Z., Hua, Q., Zhang, Y., & Zhu, S. (2011). Treatment of post-stroke dysphagia by VitalStim therapy coupled with conventional swallowing training. Journal of Huazhong University of Science and Technology. Medical Sciences, 31(1), 73–76.
  6. 6 Terré, R., & Mearin, F. (2015). A randomized controlled study of neuromuscular electrical stimulation in oropharyngeal dysphagia secondary to acquired brain injury. European Journal of Neurology, 22(4), 687–e44.
  7. 7 Ryu, J. S., Kang, J. Y., Park, J. Y., Nam, S. Y., Choi, S. H., Roh, J. L., Kim, S. Y., & Choi, K. H. (2009). The effect of electrical stimulation therapy on dysphagia following treatment for head and neck cancer. Oral Oncology, 45(8), 665–668.
  8. 8 Rofes, L., Arreola, V., López, I., Martin, A., Sebastián, M., Ciurana, A., & Clavé, P. (2013). Effect of surface sensory and motor electrical stimulation on chronic poststroke oropharyngeal dysfunction. Neurogastroenterology and Motility, 25(11), 888–e701.