The effect of neuromuscular electrical stimulation on post-stroke dysphagia and related issues

Objective To observe the effect of neuromuscular electric stimulation (NMES) on post-stroke dysphagia (PSD). Methods Two hundred patients with swallowing dysfunction after stroke were randomly divided into a control group with 67 cases and a study group with 133 cases. All patients received pharmacotherapy and swal-lowing training. The study group also received NMES. The study group was sub-divided into unilateral and bilateral cortical stroke sub-groups, an ischemic stroke sub-group and a hemorrhagic stroke sub-group. The swallowing levels of the groups were compared after 2 courses of treatment with NMES. Results After an average of 20 days of NMES treatment, the level of dysphagia and its severity improved significantly. The patients with dysphagia due to unilateral stroke improved, on average, more than those with bilateral stroke. Patients with dysphagia due to ischemic stroke improved more than those with hemorrhagic stroke. Conclusions NMES therapy combined with rehabilitation train-ing can significantly improve swallowing in patients with PSD. Key words: Neuromuscular electrical stimulation; Stroke; Dysphagia; Efficacy analysis