Topic > Effectiveness of acupuncture in the treatment of dysphagia

Dysphagia, or difficulty swallowing, is a strongly age-related problem and is a serious health problem in the elderly society. Dysphagia can occur in the oropharyngeal or esophageal phase of swallowing. It is a significant risk factor that can develop malnutrition and aspiration pneumonia which can become life-threatening when the condition becomes severe. It is also a frequent complication of stroke due to disruption or dysfunction of neural pathways (Hinkle & Cheever, 2014). 75% of cases of oropharyngeal dysphagia are due to neurological causes such as stroke, Parkinson's disease and dementia (White, O'Rourke, Ong, Cordato & Chan, 2008). Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get Original Essay Reported study shows that dysphagia affected 37% and 78% of stroke patients and dysphagia still persists in 11-50% of post-stroke patients stroke patient who suffered from stroke six months after the onset of the stroke (Martino, Foley, Bhogal, Diamant, Speechley & Teasell, 2005). Nowadays, current standard practice focuses mainly on minimizing the risk of aspiration or choking, such as using the nasogastric tube for feeding, positioning and modifying the diet (e.g. using thickeners), instead of treat the underlying causes. Furthermore, there is no recommended routine clinical treatment for dysphagia after a stroke. Although current practice shows that neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) with swallowing rehabilitation training can be an effective treatment for patients with post-stroke dysphagia, the method may not be applicable to all patients due to some spectacular situations and do not evaluate long-term results. effects (Park, Kim, Oh & Lee, 2012). On the other hand, some research shows that there is a relationship between swallowing function and quality of life. There is a lower score in those who suffer from dysphagia compared to those who do not have dysphagia, which indicates that dysphagia would affect the quality of life (Eslick & Talley, 2008). Acupuncture has been widely used as an intervention in complications after stroke in Asian regions. There is a new acupuncture method combined with swallowing training called He's Santong Needling method. Studies have shown that acupuncture can rebalance the blood supply and blood circulation in the brain region, and regulate the connection of swallowing reflection cortex, and coordinate the motor movement of swallowing-related muscle, regulating Qi and blood of meridians and collaterals related to swallowing. The whole treatment is performed 5 days a week for 4 weeks and using three different types of acupuncture procedures: Weitong (normal needles), Wentong (fire needles providing mechanical and thermal stimulation) and Qiangtong (bloodletting) providing synergistic effects , with rehabilitation of swallowing. training, such as appropriate dietary modification and behaviorally directed exercise (e.g., effortful swallowing), may be helpful for patients with dysphagia.