Re: Swollowing Assist device ?
I did not ask why, as it was consistent advise from my very first appointment.
I looked online just now, and found a description of how it works (in layman terms) and also a statement that VitalStim is not for those with "significant" lower motor neuron damage. Both of the following quotes are from the VitalStim official website.
Here is a quote from Janice Osborne, a VitalStim-certified therapist, and is part of an interview provided on their website:
"If you lift a pencil, that's really easy, and it only
triggers your Type 1 muscle fibers," Osborne said.
"If you lift something really heavy, you have to
recruit all of your muscles, and that's what VitalStim
does. It causes such an evoked contraction that it
gets all of the muscle fibers working so it basically
is doing biceps curls on your larynx...." (the quote goes on)
In VitalStim's official description of how the therapy works they say this....
"Some patients may not respond well to VitalStim Therapy. This may include patients with significant lower motor neuron damage"....
From what has been explained to me by my healthcarers, is that we should not try to build muscle, as it is detrimental. This is consistent with what others here have been advised as well; and of course all of the current literature on managing MND..
It is disheartening that there are no better options out there for us at this time!