A histrical review of dysphagia rehabilitation in Japan from the view point of a physiatrist

Abstract

In Japan，rehabilitation for eating dysfunction，that is，dysphagia rehabilitation is just developing in recent ten years．The establishment of the Japanese Society of Dysphagia Rehabilitation (JSDR) in 1995 encouraged interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary approaches to disseminate．The Membership that was 1,970 in 1997 increased linearly and became more than double，4,265 in 2004．The composition of membership consists of speech therapists (32％)，dentists (18％)，nurses (11％)，physicians (11％)，dieticians (7％)，dental hygienists (6％)，occupational therapists (4％)，physical therapists (3％)，and others (8％)．Physiatrists account for one third of the physicians．Eager participation of many professions，especially，physiatrists，dentists，and speech therapists is making a new trend of dysphagia rehabilitation in Japan．The journal is published biannually and the scientific meeting is held annually．In last ten years (from January 1995 to August 2004)，2,946 scientific papers related dysphagia (including original articles，case reports，and reviews) were published in Japanese journals (searched by the Japana Centra Revuo Medicina) and 167 English written papers were published in the world from Japanese institutions (searched by the Ovid Medline)．As characteristic researches in recent Japan，following issues were noted； basic and clinical efforts for understanding of the Chew-swallow complex， development of several clinical examinations，confirmation of oral care effect on aspiration pneumonia，understanding of the Intermittent catheterization as both of alimentation and exercise method， and confirmation and refinement of the Balloon stretching for UES dysfunction．I hope further fruitful developments including making sure evidences in therapeutic effect of rehabilitation treatment in near future．