Speech therapist uses electric shocks to help patient
Wednesday 16th December 2009
A speech therapist operating in the UK helped a stroke victim recover his ability to swallow.
At the age of 53, Paul Spence suffered the medical episode, which left him paralysed down the left side of his body, the Daily Mail reports.
Physiotherapy helped him regain his ability to walk, but he was still unable to swallow.
However, thanks to a new technique, he can now eat, drink and swallow almost as well as he could prior to the stroke.
Mr Spence contacted Sumathi Sinnappan, who performed VitalStim therapy - which uses electrical stimulation to contract and then relax the muscles.
Commenting on the process, he said: "It wasn't at all painful. It was like a tingling sensation, as if the throat muscles were being slightly pushed and pulled."
After four sessions, he was able to drink water, he revealed.
A common medical complaint, strokes are caused when the blood supply to the brain is disturbed.
Written by James Puckle
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