Physical exercises in dysphagia play a really important role. In dysphagia, physiotherapist suggests you exercise according your symptoms. The muscles of your throat and esophagus crush the food and liquid from your mouth to your stomach. If you are facing problem in this process, exercises may help you to improving your function.
How Physiotherapy helps in Dysphagia?
Physiotherapy role is the key in dysphagia. The goal of a physiotherapist in dysphagia is to protect the airway and maintain the intake of nutrition. Muscles need to learn that how to work again and how to move food in your mouth for better swallow. Before suggesting exercises, physiotherapist may ask you to swallow in-front of him.
Massage Therapy
Massage is important before starting exercises.
Procedure:
Apply a gel or lotion at your neck and lower jaw. Take a tip of your fingers and gently move your fingers in circular motion. Do the massage at-least 7 to 10 minutes before starting exercises.
Exercises for Dysphagia
Misako
Keep the tongue between your teeth. Then swallow with holding the tongue. It will increase the anterior bulging of the pharyngeal wall.
Mendelssohn Maneuver
Feel the cartilage movement during swallowing. Once you feel a little notch in the middle of your neck. Keep a finger on it and swallow. Hold your breath and don’t let go down. Hold for three to five seconds then relax. It will increase the strength of upper esophageal muscles.
Supraglottic Swallow
This exercise has three steps. Hold your breath, swallow and then cough. Repeat these three step 10 times. It will increase the hyoid bone movement and longer bolus transit time.
Effortful Swallow
Sit straight on the chair. Squeeze of your all swallowing muscles effort-fully or hardly during swallowing. It will increases laryngeal closure and lingual pressures.
Shaker Exercise
Lie down flat at the back on the bed. Take your head up and looking your feet. Hold it for 30 seconds. Repeat 3 times and take a rest of 10 seconds in each time. After that raise up your head and look your feet. Now, keep doing this 30 times.
Positions
The three best positioning to help you in swallow. These positions help to prevent the food or drink for going the wrong direction and also close off the airway.
Chin Down
Down your chin towards your chest before starting swallow. Then, swallow hard and fast with keeping your head down. Now, head back up slowly and take the food or drink then again down your chin and start swallowing.
Sit Upright
Sit with back straight. If you are on bed and you have difficulty in swallowing then make sure that during swallow you are sitting straight up for easier swallow. It will also decrease the chance of cough.
Side Turn
This position is good for those patients who have problem in one side such as stroke. Turn your head to the affected side and then swallow. Now, you can swallow easily because with turning head you cut’s off that affected side of your throat. So, the food pass down easily form the good side.
Precaution
If you feel pain or aggravates your problem then stops doing these exercises immediately. Before doing these exercises, you should consult a doctor or physical therapist.
