Cerebral Palsy Advice Group

Some parents of children with cerebral palsy are finding that use of a speech therapy device originally approved to help stroke sufferers regain the ability to eat and swallow properly could also help increase their children’s ability to communicate.

VitalStim is an electrical device approved by the FDA for the treatment of dysphagia, or difficulty swallowing. Using external electrodes, VitalStim therapy stimulates muscles in the throat in order to help patients relearn to swallow properly.

A recent report by Ivanhoe describes how some parents and physical therapists have discovered that the device can also be used to improve mouth control for children with cerebral palsy.

Though only approved in 2002 for dysphagia, applying the device to the face muscles causes them to contract, strengthening them. Cerebral palsy patients using VitalStim are connected to the device for an hour-long session, three times a week, in conjunction with speech therapy. The electrodes of the VitalStim are applied to the face, and the device begins a continuous cycle of delivering current through the muscles, causing them to contract. Every minute, the device shuts down, and then cycles back up again. While the device is working, the therapist gets the child to do mouth and tongue exercises.