The Effect of Effortful Swallow with Progressive Resistance on Swallow Function in Post-Stroke Dysphagia: A Case Study

Background: Dysphagia management is vital in individuals reporting swallowing difficulties post-stroke. The literature review recommends the effortful swallow maneuver as a simple technique with multiple benefits for treating patients with oropharyngeal dysphagia due to stroke. No studies have documented the effect of effortful swallow and progressive resistance in individuals with swallowing difficulties post-stroke. Aim: To investigate whether the effortful swallow with added progressive resistance helps alleviate the swallowing function in individuals with dysphagia following stroke. Case report: In this case report, we describe a 30-year-old male who presented with left middle cerebral artery infarction and subsequent swallowing difficulty. The treatment procedure included 20 sessions of swallowing therapy incorporating effortful swallow with progressive resistance. Conclusion: Following 20 sessions of swallow treatment, significant improvement was seen in oro-facial measurements such as anterior and posterior tongue strength, anterior and posterior tongue endurance, and typical and effortful swallow tongue pressure. Functional oral intake level, dysphagia outcome and severity levels also improved significantly, contributing to better quality of life. Fiberoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing (FEES) examination showed improved swallow safety and efficiency post-therapy. Conclusion: Effortful swallow with progressive resistance effectively improved oro-pharyngeal swallow functions in an individual who presented with dysphagia following stroke. The case study highlights the effect of effortful swallow with progressive resistance in treating swallowing difficulties in a participant who presented with dysphagia following stroke.