Physical Therapy

Has anyone done physical therapy to repair the esophagus muscles? My surgeon suggested it this morning and I thought it sounded kind of silly and I don't know what to expect.

I had a partial wrap in November and have aside from some slight swallowing issues everything has gone quite well.

I did a little bit of research and found this:



The Shaker head-lifting exercise


Research has found that performing the Shaker exercise, developed by Dr.Reza Shaker (a gastroenterologist at the Medical College of Wisconsin), can help improve pharyngeal swallowing and dysphagia.
+ Used to strengthen the muscles of the Upper Esophageal Sphincter (UES)

+ Used with dysphagia, hiatal hernia, and GERD

+ Helps restore normal swallowing

+ Helps keep stomach contents from being aspirated into the lungs

+ Instruct patients that do not have cervical disc disease, but have dysphagia in the head-lift exercise

+ Shakers Head Lift Exercise PDF Handout from The Ohio State University Medical Center Department of Rehabilitation Services - Dodd Hall


[Photo courtesy of the Riverside Health Systems. Available at http://www.riversideonline.com/health_reference/Disease-Conditions/DS00763.cfm]


--> Patients with GERD occaisonally present to the clinic with atypical head and neck symptoms without complaints of heartburn. It is important for the Physical Therapist to be aware of pain referral patterns for the esophagus. With an atypical presentation, the Physical Therapist may need to ask if the patient has a history of difficulty swallowing, difficulty speaking, chronic dry cough, etc.

-->Most patients are treated in the clinic for other conditions, but have a history of GERD. In this case the Physical Therapist has to be aware of positioning and education on lifestyle modifications if necessary.

--> When treating a patient with GERD:

Assist the patient in implementing changes related to the diet and exercise

Educate and encourage the patient on lifestyle modifications

Educate on Positioning:

~ Supine interventions should be avoided after meals

~ Encourage the patient to sleep on the left side

~ Right side lying allows the acid to flow into the esophagus more easily

~ Head up positions minimize reflux and reduce intraabdominal pressure