[Dysphagia] [asha-div13] Query from nurse re throat massage

[joanneaton at charter.net (JoAnn Eaton)]

Query from nurse re throat massageHi Kim,
In my initial dysphagia training many long years ago, one of the approaches touted to help patients intitiate a swallow was "throat massage". I think the theory was to provide tactile feedback. However, I've never been able to get it to work, so don't use it and use other approaches. I still get that technique when covering for other therapists however. Rather than say it's a stupid idea, I use the following response.
"You know, I've tried that technique to facilitate swallowing ever since I first learned of it years ago, and I've never been able to facilitate or cue a swallow with that approach. Have you tried it and does it work for you? "  The usual response is 'No". So then we go on to another technique. If the answer is "Yes", I'll say, "Would you show me what you are doing to trigger a response? I haven't been able to figure out how to use that approach effectively."  I've never had a nurse able to demonstrate efficiacy. Usually we can use another approach that isn't quite so invasive with persons with whom it will work.
I've never seen it covered in any manual as an effective approach, but sometimes old myths are perpetrated forever within our own inservice materials because we as SLPs are adapting someone elses old stuff and not doing our own.
JoAnn
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Clarke-Goertz, Kim (PAPHR) 
  To: Division 13 Discussion List 
  Sent: Monday, December 04, 2006 4:35 PM
  Subject: [asha-div13] Query from nurse re throat massage


  Hello All, 
  I had this question asked of me today and my initial response was negative, in that I would not consider throat massage, what do the members of the listerv think?

  A RN requested that one of my students (who is an employee of the KTHR) massage the throat of a gentleman who was pocketing food-in order to get him to swallow. I told her that this was not a good practice and that I would not do this throat massage to initiate the swallow of someone who pocketed food- was I right and if so is there anywhere that is covered in the manual or elsewhere that I can refer to for my students?

  Kim 


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