2020 Volume 24 Issue 1 Pages 64-68
A 63-year-old man was diagnosed with dysphagia due to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Symptoms of ALS onset were coordinated movement of the upper limbs, gait disturbance and weight loss. Respiratory and swallowing functions slowly decreased. The patient had to wear a non-invasive positive-pressure ventilation device while sleeping and dietary adjustments consisting of soft foods and mildly thick liquids were necessary before discharge from hospital. One month after discharge, he was re-hospitalized due to aspiration pneumonia and required intensive care. After re-hospitalization, swallowing function and tongue pressure rapidly decreased. He initiated tongue-lifting exercises, taking care to avoid overuse because the observed declines might have been caused not only by ALS, but also by disuse syndrome. Tongue strength and swallowing ability improved because of the swallowing rehabilitation exercises. Tongue-lifting exercises can help patients diagnosed with ALS and disuse syndrome.
