Effectiveness of Different Application Parameters of Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation for the Treatment of Dysphagia after a Stroke: A Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND

Dysphagia causes severe complications among people with a stroke. Physiotherapy allows the cure of this pathology, and among the tools it offers is neuromuscular electrical stimulation. However, this is a technique that has not been protocolized. Therefore, it was considered necessary to carry out a systematic review on the efficacy of the various parameters of application of the neuromuscular electrical stimulation in dysphagia generated after a stroke.

METHODS

A systematic search for publications was conducted in March 2020 in the Pubmed, Cinahl, Medline, Web of Science and Scopus databases, using as search terms: Electric stimulation therapy, Deglutition disorders and Stroke.

RESULTS

21 articles were obtained in which the application of neuromuscular electrical stimulation was applied in isolation ( = 7) or in combination with other techniques such as strengthening exercises and manual therapy techniques ( = 14), with this second modality of treatment having greater benefits for patients.

CONCLUSION

The greatest efficacy of this technique is reached when applied at 60-80 Hz, 700 μs of pulse duration, at the motor intensity threshold and in sessions of 20-30 min.