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American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Adult Dysphagia. Accessed July 31, 2024. https://www.asha.org/Practice-Portal/Clinical-Topics/Adult-Dysphagia
College of Audiologists and Speech-Language Pathologists of Ontario. Practice standards for dysphagia intervention. Toronto: CASLPO; 2022.
Also see Dysphagia: General Considerations.
When a patient is diagnosed with dysphagia, an individualized management plan needs to be developed. The goals of dysphagia treatment and management are to:
1) Maximize the safety, efficiency, and effectiveness of swallowing function.
2) Ensure safety for oral intake by collaborating with medical, nursing, and allied health care professionals to assess the patient’s need for nonoral nutrition and hydration.
3) Determine the most appropriate liquid and food consistency if oral intake is indicated.
4) Maximize the aspects of quality of life associated with drinking, eating, or feeding while considering the patient’s social and cultural needs.
5) Reduce risks associated with dysphagia (eg, need for patient supervision, assistance, or positioning).
6) Determine whether rehabilitation and/or compensation (liquid or food modification) will optimize swallowing outcomes.
TreatmentTop
It is important to consider the underlying neurophysiologic impairment to understand swallowing function and deficits. Treatment in individuals with dysphagia that has resulted from a progressive neurologic disorder, acute event, or chronic condition requires different management approaches. Similarly, treatment targeted at improving a specific structure or function may impact the function of other structures. A speech-language pathologist may provide important contribution to the overall treatment plan.
Treatment options available to patients and clinicians can be broadly categorized as being compensatory or rehabilitative in nature:
1) Compensatory strategies are aimed at altering bolus flow in a way that compensates for compromised oropharyngeal function without altering the underlying physiology. A summary of compensatory techniques: Table 1.
2) Rehabilitative strategies aim to promote safe and efficient swallowing function by achieving improvements in the underlying anatomy and physiology (eg, improvements in speed, strength, rate, and coordination of the muscles required for safe and efficient swallowing). A summary of rehabilitation techniques: Table 2.
TablesTop
|
Compensatory technique |
Examples |
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Texture modification of food or liquid |
– Food: Regular, soft and bite sized, minced and moist, pureed, liquidized – Liquid: Extremely thick, moderately thick, mildly think, slightly thick, thin Regular foods and fluids require exceptional muscle control and accurate coordination between swallowing-respiratory systems. Thickened fluids slow the act of swallowing, thus enhancing safe swallowing. Modified diets use alterations to food texture to reduce the need to orally prepare food |
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|
Food/liquid sensory adjustments (eg, temperature, flavor, tactile) |
– Cold bolus; sour bolus; carbonated bolus Sensory stimulation may prime the swallow system for subsequently presented bolus to lower threshold needed to initiate swallow response and improve timeliness of the swallow |
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|
Bolus volume modification |
Altering cup size or supervised ingestion |
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Method of bolus delivery |
Open cup, spoon, straw, spouted cup, sports bottle |
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Body posture |
Supported upright with or without pillows |
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Head or facial posture |
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Head rotation/tilt |
Head is tilted toward the strong side to keep food on chewing surface |
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Head turn |
Head is typically turned toward the damaged or weak side to direct bolus to the stronger of lateral channels of the pharynx |
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Chin tuck |
Chin is tucked down toward the neck during the swallow, bringing tongue base closer to posterior pharyngeal wall, narrowing opening to the airway, and widening vallecular space |
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Effortful swallow |
Increases posterior tongue base movement to facilitate bolus clearance. Patient is instructed to swallow and push hard with tongue against hard palate |
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Mendelsohn maneuver |
Designed to elevate the larynx and open esophagus during the swallow to prevent food/liquid from entering the airway. Patient holds the larynx in elevated position at peak of hyolaryngeal elevation |
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Supraglottic swallow |
Designed to voluntarily close vocal folds by holding one’s breath before and during swallow to protect the airway. Patient is instructed to hold their breath just before swallowing (closing the vocal folds) and cough immediately after the swallow |
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Super-supraglottic swallow |
Designed to voluntarily move the arytenoids anteriorly, closing off the entrance to laryngeal vestibule before and during the swallow. It is similar to supraglottic swallow but involves increased effort during the breath hold before the swallow, which assists with glottal closure |
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Pacing of food or liquid rate of ingestion |
Recommendations of patient-specific rate of liquid or food ingestion to assist caregivers |
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Environmental adjustments |
Limiting distractions; recommendations for frequency, timing, and volume of meals/feeds |
|
Rehabilitation technique |
Description |
|
Masako maneuver |
Patient holds the tongue forward between teeth while swallowing; this is performed without food/liquid in the mouth to prevent coughing or choking. Although sometimes referred to as the Masako “maneuver,” Masako (tongue hold) is considered an exercise, not a maneuver, and its intent is to improve movement and strength of posterior pharyngeal wall during the swallow |
|
Head lift (shaker) maneuver |
Patient rests in supine position and lifts their head to look at the toes to facilitate increased opening of the upper esophageal sphincter through increased hyoid and laryngeal anterior and superior excursions |
|
Effortful swallow |
Increases posterior tongue base movement to facilitate bolus clearance. Patient is instructed to swallow and push hard with tongue against hard palate |
|
Biofeedback |
Used to visually display swallowing physiology, it incorporates patient’s ability to sense changes and aids in treatment of feeding or swallowing disorders; eg, those with sufficient cognitive skills can be taught to interpret visual information provided by these assessments (surface electromyography, ultrasonography, FEES) and make physiologic changes during swallowing |
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Electrical stimulation |
Used to contract muscle fibers by applying low-voltage electrical currents to muscle tissue |
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Strengthening exercises for cheek, jaw, lips, tongue |
Patient is provided lingual resistance across exercises to increase strength (eg, tongue lateralization exercises support development of chewing skills) |
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FEES, fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing. | |
