Vital Stim
Therapy
What is electrostimulation: the VitalStim® Therapy system?
The VitalStim® System is a painless non-invasive therapy for treating dysphagia, obtained by external electrical stimulation which is applied to the front of the neck.
The VitalStim® Therapy System is the only technology approved by the FDA for restoring swallowing function in patients with oropharyngeal dysphagia. The VitalStim® Therapy System uses small electrical currents to stimulate the muscles responsible for swallowing. At the same time, trained specialists (Rehabilitation doctors and speech therapists) help patients to re-educate their muscles through rehabilitation therapy. The VitalStim® Therapy System involves the administration of small electrical pulses to the neck muscles involved in swallowing through special electrodes attached to the skin overlying said musculature.
- The doctor or speech therapist expert determines, by prior assessment, the muscle groups to be treated.
- They place the electrodes adequately on the patient and start the application of current with gradual increases in intensity until a satisfactory level of muscle contraction is achieved.
- They perform exercises, manoeuvres and positions to retrain swallowing (the patient exercises the swallowing muscles for up to an hour while concurrently receiving the VitalStim treatment).
- If treatment is properly applied muscle strength increases, cortical reorganization is accelerated, and the effectiveness of exercise therapy also increases.
Electrotherapy and sEMG Biofeedback System
Patient Data
Treatment data on stimulation and sEMG can be stored, displayed or exported to a PC to track patient progress and generate reports.
VitalStim Treatment
The VitalStim waveform is delivered in Co-Contraction Mode. Up to four separate channels deliver stimulation concurrently and pause at the same time.
sEMG + Triggered Stim
The patient initiates the swallowing exercise with the assistance of sEMG biofeedback. When the set threshold is reached, VitalStim Plus will switch to stimulation mode to increase the effort and exercise load.
VMS Treatment
You are in control! Customize your treatment protocol by adjusting the parameters of your choice, such as Phase Duration, Frequency, and Work and Rest Time. VMS treatment offers even more flexibility by allowing you to sequence the stimulation in the various channels to more closely match the natural swallowing sequence.
sEMG Treatment
Electrical signals in the muscle are measured and displayed on a screen and are amplified into sounds that the patient can hear. This feedback increases patient effort and participation, and provides the data and documentation required to measure patient outcomes and quantify progress.
Education Videos
A complete education tool at your finger tips. VitalStim Plus includes videos that help demonstrate key therapeutic exercises, such as the Masako Exercise, the Mendelsohn
Maneuver, the Supraglottic Maneuver, and various Electrode Placements Options.
Bluetooth Technology
Screen mirroring technology projects your live treatment onto a computer or tablet screen. This allows you to guide therapeutic exercise activities and increase patient engagement.
Anatomical Library
VitalStim Plus includes a Dysphagia image library of Anatomy, Pathology and Therapeutic Treatment options to assist in educating your patient.