After a stroke, forward head posture occurs, resulting in swallowing dysfunction. Neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) combined with upper cervical spine mobilization has demonstrated enhanced recovery of the swallowing function in stroke patients. This study investigated the therapeutic effects of NMES in conjunction with upper cervical mobilization in stroke patients with dysphagia. Thirty-four stroke patients were recruited (in a randomized controlled clinical trial) and divided into an experimental group ( = 17; NMES plus upper cervical spine mobilization) and a control group ( = 17; NMES plus sham mobilization). Forward head posture was measured by craniocervical flexion test (CCFT) and craniovertebral angle (CVA). Swallowing function was measured by variations in video fluoroscopic dysphagia scale (VDS) and penetration-aspiration scale (PAS) scores using the video fluoroscopic swallowing study (VFSS). All measurements were done at baseline and after four weeks of NMES plus mobilization. A significant increase was observed in CCFT, CVA, VDS (total VDS score, oral stage score, pharyngeal stage score), and PAS score in all variations in the experimental group. The CCFT, CVA, pharyngeal stage score, total VDS, and PAS score were significantly higher in the experimental group when compared to the control group. NMES plus upper cervical spine mobilization can be regarded as a promising method to improve swallowing function and forward head posture changes in stroke patients with dysphagia.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7464773PMC
http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/brainsci10080478DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

upper cervical
20
stroke patients
20
cervical spine
16
spine mobilization
16
forward head
16
head posture
16
swallowing function
16
nmes upper
12
patients dysphagia
12
experimental group
12

Similar Publications

Pheochromocytoma (PHEO) currently is considered to be malignant due to metastatic potential. One of the most common familial forms of PHEO is multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome (MEN) type 2. The penetrance of PHEO in MEN2 syndrome is up to 50% of cases.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Clear cell meningioma (CCM) is an exceedingly rare subtype of meningioma, with spinal occurrences being even more uncommon. It predominantly affects children and is characterized by a high recurrence rate and poor prognosis, posing significant challenges for clinical treatment. Currently, gross total resection (GTR) is the best approach to reduce recurrence and improve prognosis in these patients.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is the sixth most common cancer worldwide. HPV-negative HNSCC, which arises in the upper airway mucosa, is particularly aggressive, with nearly half of patients succumbing to the disease within five years and limited response to immune checkpoint inhibitors compared to other cancers. There is a need to further explore the complex immune landscape in HPV-negative HNSCC to identify potential therapeutic targets.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Cricoid chondroma presenting as upper airway obstruction: A report of a rare case.

Radiol Case Rep

March 2025

Centre for Innovative Drug Development and Therapeutic Trials for Africa (CDT-Africa), College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Laryngeal chondroma is a very rare laryngeal tumor that commonly presents as dysphonia and dyspnea. A combination of clinical, histological, and radiological data has paramount importance for accurate diagnosis of this rare disease. It is difficult to differentiate laryngeal chondroma from chondrosarcoma solely based on radiological imaging; therefore, radiologists need to specify the origin of the tumor and the level of extension.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Extramedullary plasmacytoma (EMP) represents one of the rarer forms of plasma cell malignancies, capable of impacting a variety of tissues and organs throughout the body. The majority of EMP cases are predominantly found in the head and neck region, especially within the laryngopharynx, as well as in the gastrointestinal tract. While there have been documented instances of oropharyngeal involvement in EMP cases in the academic literature, it is important to note that EMP specifically affecting the uvula is exceedingly uncommon.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!