New Jersey Pediatric Feeding Associates & Therapy Center, LLC

•   FACT SHEET:  VITALSTIM^® THERAPY
•   Specialized form of neuro-muscular electrical stimulation (NMES) specifically designed to treat dysphagia.  NMES has been used successfully in a wide variety of therapeutic and rehabilitative settings for many years.
• Only neuro-muscular electrical stimulation device cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat dysphagia.  
• Non-invasive therapy that uses small electrical currents to stimulate the muscles responsible for swallowing while trained specialists help patients “re-educate” their throat muscles with special exercises.

• HOW IT WORKS:
• Small, carefully calibrated current is delivered by specially designed electrodes, which are placed on the neck.
• Current stimulates motor nerves in the throat while patient practices swallowing exercises.
• Muscles responsible for swallowing contract.
• Quality of the swallowing function improves.
•  With repeated therapy, muscles are re-educated.
• Patients frequently see dramatic improvement in six to 20 treatment sessions (60 minutes each) – some in as little as three sessions.
• Administered by specially trained speech therapists in both inpatient and outpatient settings.
• Must be prescribed by a physician.
• Effective in patients with a wide range of primary diagnoses, including stroke, head or neck cancer, respiratory conditions and degenerative neurological disorders such as Parkinson’s disease and Multiple Sclerosis.
• Effective in patients of all ages – from infants and toddlers to patients in their 80s.
               

Please click on the PDF logo below  to download a complete VitalStim brochure.