The SwallowSTRONG device has applications spanning different diagnoses and care environments. Strengthening therapy with the SwallowSTRONG has been effective with patients throughout the continuum of care.
Below are three examples of real-life patients who had success with the SwallowSTRONG. Check out their stories, and see the results for yourself.
*Note: Names have been changed to protect the identity of each patient.
Tom, a 66-year-old patient in an outpatient clinic, has cancer in his larynx, and has been treated with chemoradiation.
At the time of his swallowing evaluation with speech pathology, Tom couldn't eat or drink anything without it "going down the wrong pipe," or aspirating. He was receiving almost all of his nutrition via a gastrostomy tube (G-tube), and was only capable of taking small amounts of semi-solid foods like pudding by mouth.
In addition to these problems, Tom was generally noted as withdrawing socially, a common characteristic of dysphagic patients.
Tom was given eight weeks of therapy with the SwallowSTRONG device, focusing on increasing the strength in the front and back areas of his tongue.
After just four weeks, Tom was able to safely eat a mechanical soft diet and return to thin fluids, while continuing to augment nutrition via G-tube. After the full eight week therapy course, Tom returned to a full diet with thin liquids.
After just eight weeks with the SwallowSTRONG, Tom could swallow again safely. No more aspiration, no more modified diet, and no more G-tube.
Perhaps most importantly, Tom returned to his normal social life, and reported being happier after he could eat and drink normally again.
Read Tom's full case study by clicking here
Felicia, a 76-year-old resident in a skilled nursing facility, was having issues with swallowing, but also struggling with dementia (MoCA Score: 9, significant cognitive deficits).
At the time of her swallowing evaluation, Felicia was on a diet of mechanical soft solids and thin liquids. However, she also had to her overcome cognitive decline during her swallowing therapy.
One of the benefits of the SwallowSTRONG device is that it provides visual feedback. Working with the training module, Felicia could see that the harder she pressed with her tongue, the more the waveform moved. This, along with verbal cues from her therapist, allowed Felicia to make improvements in strength and swallow safety, despite her cognitive function declining during the therapy course.
After working for four weeks with her therapist following a therapy course of six times a week (two times a day on three days during the week) Felicia's diet was upgraded to regular solids and thin liquids.
Read Felicia's full case study by clicking here
Bernice, an 81-year-old resident in a skilled nursing facility, was having difficulty swallowing, but was also generally a frail patient. She suffered from general weakness, renal insufficiency, congestive heart failure, and recurrent pneumonia.
When she underwent her swallowing evaluation, Bernice was coughing and choking during meals, despite being on a diet of mechanical soft solids and nectar-thick liquids. According to her therapist, Bernice was "not at all happy," about her modified diet, and her liquid intake was reduced while on it. Patients with recurrent pneumonia sometimes must be on a modified diet to prevent food "going down the wrong pipe" and into the lungs.
Bernice underwent strengthening therapy using the SwallowSTRONG five to six times a week for eight weeks, focusing on the front and back portions of the tongue. By the fourth week, her swallowing had improved and her diet was upgraded to a full regular diet.
Bernice has been pneumonia free for over four months, and has reported being much happier on her regular diet.
Read Bernice's full case study by clicking here