The Swallow Treat Retreat

1.5 CEUs

Upcoming Treat Retreats:

July 19 & 20 | October 18 & 19

7:30am - 4:30pm

Course Description

The goal of this 2-day course is to reframe the Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) swallowing therapy toolbox. Dr. Humbert will emphasize (a) restoring swallowing function over compensation and, (b) innovation and practicality in healthcare. As part of the course, each attendee will be given the opportunity to image, record, and analyze their own swallowing behavior (Swallow Selfies :-) using MBS and/or FEES during natural swallows, postures and maneuvers, as well as device-driven treatment options such as expiratory muscle strength training, electrical stimulation, lingual strengthening, and visual biofeedback. Pre-recorded abnormal swallowing will be integrated into the curriculum to provide a complete understanding of the immediate and long-term underlying physiological changes to expect in dysphagia therapy across various patient profiles. This course will only accept 10 attendees. This course will be held at the Swallowing Wellness Center in Bethesda, MD.

Why do we need The Swallow Treat Retreat?

Traditional SLP management of dysphagia was based on symptom management (reducing cough, aspiration, etc). In recent years, the profession has tried to transition away from simply reducing a disability (compensation) and toward restoring swallowing function (neuroplasticity, motor learning, rehabilitation) with patient-centered practices. However, this transition has proven difficult because SLPs originally established themselves in medical settings as professionals who sacrifice certain patient and professional needs to conform to the healthcare system. This includes assessing and treating swallowing with no imaging to confirm the presence, nor the characteristics of dysphagia. We are now at a crossroads as we try to reconcile what the body needs to recover from dysphagia within the confines of healthcare systems that do not prioritize comprehensive dysphagia management.

This course will cover four treatment categories

1. The Classics

·      Postures, maneuvers, diet modifications, nothing-by-mouth (NPO)

2. Premium Upgrades (handhelds)

·      Lingual strengthening, electrical stimulation, respiratory strength training

3. Personalized Eating Plans

·      Using food and drink to treat feeding and swallowing difficulty

4. Visual Biofeedback

·      Imaging to advance restorative swallowing therapy (EMG, MBS, FEES)

Dr. Humbert will address these treatment categories in three core areas in an interactive seminar that will be immediately relevant to attendees via the following learning objectives:

1. Describe the neurophysiological requirements that prioritize restoring swallowing function instead of simply reducing the impact of the swallowing impairment.

2. Categorize all dysphagia management therapeutic techniques as restorative (motor learning, rehabilitation) versus deficit reduction (compensatory).

3. Create realistic therapeutic protocols that can be carried out across many health care settings to target swallow system recovery over traditional deficit reduction (compensatory) practices.