| Objective:To explore the effect of pharyngeal ice stimulation with traditional Chinese medicine on swallowing disorders following stroke. Methods: Fifty-nine patients with swallowing disorders following stroke were randomly divided into observation group (n=30) and control group (n=29). Both groups were given ordinary drug treatment and swallowing functional training. The patients in observation group were given pharyngeal ice stimulation with traditional Chinese Medicine additionally. Both groups were evaluated with water drinking test, Standard Swallowing Assessment (SSA) and Swallow Quality-of-life (SWAL-QOL) before and after treatment. Results: After treatment for one month, the two groups had significant decreases in the rank of water drinking test and SSA (P<0.05, or 0.01), and the scores in observation group were lower than in the control group (P<0.05). The scores of SWAL-QOL were significantly increased in the two groups (P<0.05, or 0.01), and those in the observation group were significantly higher than in the control group (P<0.05). After treatment, the total effective rate in the observation group was obviously higher than in the control group. Conclusion: Pharyngeal ice stimulation with traditional Chinese medicine is effective in improving swallowing function and quality of life. |
