Swallowing Therapy for Adults

Mealtime has historically been a time for friends and family, spending time together, and having an enjoyable time. You watch others laughing and enjoying themselves; it’s not fair that eating has become so difficult. You used to enjoy going out with friends or having family over for dinner, but now even eating alone in challenging due to difficulties swallowing.

You’ve asked for advice from doctors, friends and family, but no one seems to be taking you seriously. Dysphagia, the medical term used for difficulty swallowing, affects one in six adults in the United States and is a very real condition. But don’t give up hope! Swallowing therapy can help you regain your ability to swallow, so that you can once again enjoy the foods you love.

What does it mean to have difficulty swallowing?

Swallowing requires many muscles and nerves to work together to move food or drink from our mouths into our stomachs. Difficulty swallowing can originate anywhere along the path from the mouth to the stomach.

– Oral Dysphagia indicates a problem in the mouth which can include tongue weakness after a stroke
– Oropharyngeal Dysphagia indicate a problem in the throat which can be neurological or muscular in nature.
– Esophageal Dysphagia indicates a problem in the esophagus that typically results from a motility disorder or a physical obstruction.

Regardless of the origination of the swallowing difficulty, these problems can be mild or severe and the treatment will vary depending on what is causing the problem.

Individualized Swallowing Therapy

Speech-language pathologists are highly trained to assess and treat swallowing disorders and provide swallowing therapy for adults. We can help improve your ability to swallow and make appropriate referrals to get you all the help you need.

We provide state-of-the-art swallowing therapy that can help you improve your swallowing ability faster than using traditional approaches. We are here to guide you through the process, improve your swallowing abilities, and give you the answers that you are looking for.

What does this type of therapy look like?

There are two different options for swallowing therapy:

We can provide traditional swallowing therapy, which includes exercises for your throat muscles. These exercises can improve the speed, strength, and specific movement of your muscles when you are swallowing.

In addition to the traditional swallow therapy, we also offer neuromuscular electrical stimulation. This therapy uses a device to help contract your muscles while you are completing the swallow exercises. This process results in a pain-free way to get faster results and get back to eating the foods you love.

Swallowing Therapy Can Help

Don’t let your swallowing abilities get worse. There is so much we can do at Advantage Therapy Services to increase your ability to swallow and help you feel like yourself again. Contact us today to schedule your appointment and take the first step to regaining your swallowing function.