{"id":11842,"date":"2024-11-11T10:00:29","date_gmt":"2024-11-11T10:00:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/magazines.uthscsa.edu\/mission\/?p=11842"},"modified":"2026-02-04T16:35:32","modified_gmt":"2026-02-04T16:35:32","slug":"hard-to-swallow-helping-dysphagia-patients-find-hope-and-function","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/magazines.uthscsa.edu\/mission\/hard-to-swallow-helping-dysphagia-patients-find-hope-and-function\/","title":{"rendered":"Hard to swallow: Helping dysphagia patients find hope and function"},"content":{"rendered":"

One researcher\u2019s mission to restore hope to Parkinson\u2019s patients and others with swallowing disorders includes teaching them exercises to build strength and function<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/h4>\n

 <\/p>\n

The act of swallowing is deceptively complex, a symphony of physiology that relies on the split-second, seamless coordination of 26 muscles and nine cranial nerves. The ability to swallow is essential for eating and drinking, and yet about 20 million adults in the U.S. experience a condition called dysphagia \u2014 literally, difficulty swallowing.<\/p>\n

Some people\u2019s symptoms are so severe, they are unable to swallow food or even their own saliva.<\/p>\n

\u201cSwallowing is probably one of the most complex neuromotor behaviors a human being can do,\u201d said Giselle Carnaby, PhD, MPH, CCC-SLP<\/a>, a professor in the Department of Health Sciences in the School of Health Professions<\/a> at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio.<\/p>\n

\"Photo
Giselle Carnaby, PhD, MPH, CCC-SLP, is cross-appointed in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders in the School of Health Professions and in the Department of Otolaryngology in the university\u2019s Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long School of Medicine<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cIt is connected to one of the cardinal, or most important, things that humans like to do, that gives them comfort, gives them self-identity, gives them reward and socialization \u2014 which is eating. Imagine if you couldn\u2019t eat at all or drink anything, and you had to sit and watch everybody else,\u201d said Carnaby. \u201cOn the tree of important things that humans do, it\u2019s second to breathing.\u201d<\/p>\n

A speech pathologist and public health scientist, Carnaby has spent more than three decades in<\/p>\n

clinical practice actively researching swallowing and swallowing-related disorders and developing therapies to treat the most severe cases. She joined the faculty of the School of Health Professions in 2021 and directs the PhD in Health Sciences program, a collaboration with the university\u2019s Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences.<\/p>\n

Carnaby also founded the Swallowing and Upper Aerodigestive Research Laboratory, where she is conducting a study to determine whether an exercise-based dysphagia intervention \u2014 the<\/p>\n

McNeill Dysphagia Therapy Program that was originally developed to help people recovering from stroke \u2014 can be used as a preventative intervention for people with early Parkinson\u2019s disease.<\/p>\n

This is not to cure Parkinson\u2019s. It is secondary prevention, said Carnaby.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf we can show a difference in pre- and postintervention in early Parkinson\u2019s patients who do not have obvious difficulties with swallowing, then the conceptual background is that it should be more beneficial in patients with more significant issues,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

As Carnaby explains, dysphagia in people with Parkinson\u2019s disease increases morbidity and mortality and decreases quality of life; the progressive neuromuscular disorder causes swallowing disorders in about 80% of patients at some period over the disease.<\/p>\n

\u2018We can remediate this\u2019<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n

Carnaby decided to pursue a career in research because she grew frustrated by unanswered<\/p>\n

questions early in her career in her home country of Australia.<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter working for a number of years in an acute care hospital, I realized that I didn\u2019t have any answers to any of the questions I wanted to ask, and I couldn\u2019t find answers anywhere,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

So, she chose to focus on swallowing while earning a Master of Public Health degree and then a PhD in public health. Her passion stems from witnessing the strain, serious illness and even death that dysphagia can cause and knowing that something can be done for it.<\/p>\n

\u201cFood nourishes the brain,\u201d Carnaby said. Not being able to access that nutrition simply because\u00a0you can\u2019t eat opens you up to all sorts of health problems, she added.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd it\u2019s so, so preventable. We can remediate this. We can fix it. We can change it. There are very few cases I have run across in my history that I can\u2019t help in some way,\u201d Carnaby said. \u201cI can\u2019t think of anything more socially isolating than not being able to eat or drink anything.\u201d<\/p>\n

Empowering patients to rehabilitate<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n

Carnaby is collaborating with a multidisciplinary team of researchers from the university, including Assistant Professor Megan Carreon, MA, RRT, in the Department of Respiratory Care; and Associate Professor Okeanis Vaou, MD, FAAN, in the Department of Neurology.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s different here is the level of expertise and the access to the high-end study equipment we have here,\u201d Carnaby said of the specialized imaging, swallow and lingual strength measurement and respiratory equipment that enables researchers to see, hear and measure what is happening during the study participants\u2019 swallowing in therapy.<\/p>\n

The program the team is researching forces the participants\u2019 muscles to work fast and hard while progressing through a hierarchy of increasingly hard-to-swallow foods, said Carnaby, who said the process is similar to developing a workout routine.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe best way to describe it is you go to the gym and start with a simple exercise like walking on the treadmill. Then you introduce weights, and then you are dancing and lifting your legs higher,\u201d she said. \u201cEvery next activity is harder and more challenging and pushes your system, so you are not just growing in strength, you are growing in range and coordination and complexity of movement pattern. It layers on.\u201d<\/p>\n

It is the same with swallowing.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is developmental over a period of time, forcing the mechanism to work in ways it is not normally being used,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

The therapy program combines motor control elements so that motor function is changed as patients build strength. Patients practice at home. They and their families are trained on the intensive therapy so that they can return to the methods as needed after leaving the therapy setting.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe patient takes it home with them, and it lives with them, and it changes their behavior from the ground up,\u201d Carnaby said.<\/p>\n

Changing minds<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n

The conventional thinking in health care regarding swallowing disorders holds that swallowing is a reflex that will return, and that until then, the priority should be keeping patients safe, Carnaby said. The typical treatment for swallowing disorders often is one of managing the swallowing disorder rather than actively seeking to rehabilitate it.<\/p>\n

\u201cYears ago, we used to modify diets and keep patients on easy-to-eat, mushy foods,\u201d she said. \u201cThis is the reverse of that.\u201d<\/p>\n

The exercise-based approach used in the Parkinson\u2019s study is customized to each patient. The decision to work with people with Parkinson\u2019s disease was an intentional choice to flip the original timing of the therapy on its head.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat we are doing with the Parkinson\u2019s patients is saying, \u2018Let\u2019s take this idea of rehabilitation and this intensive rehabilitation program that we know works, and let\u2019s provide it as a preventative,\u201d she said. \u201cTeach it up front and then maybe we will extend the period of time where their swallowing is normal and easy for them.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf we can make them safer and more effective functional feeders for longer, we save costs, save\u00a0hospitalizations, save stress, save morbidity. There are lots of benefits.\u201d<\/p>\n

Carnaby is treating patients under research protocol, and she continues to hear from people around the world who are seeking help for severe dysphagia that has not been treated successfully. Although stroke, head and neck cancer and Parkinson\u2019s disease are some common conditions that increase the risk of swallowing disorders, age is another risk factor, as are a range of other conditions for which Carnaby sees potential for helping people maintain or regain their swallowing fitness.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re slowly changing people\u2019s minds about how you do this sort of intervention and with\u00a0different populations,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n

Untangling your tongue: A patient\u2019s perspective<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

Although it has been 18 years since Carlos Gonz\u00e1lez was diagnosed with Parkinson\u2019s disease, he only began to experience problems with swallowing about two years ago.<\/p>\n

Gonz\u00e1lez and his wife, AnnaMaria Ornelas, are always seeking to learn more about treatment options for<\/p>\n

\"Photo
Carlos Gonz\u00e1lez consuming a meal of his choice in 30 minutes as part of his treatment. Gonz\u00e1lez joined the study in 2024.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Parkinson\u2019s. When they learned that Professor Giselle Carnaby, PhD, MPH, CCC-SLP, was giving a presentation on a swallowing intervention for people with Parkinson\u2019s, they hurried home \u2014 from their boxing group for people with Parkinson\u2019s \u2014 to freshen up and attend. After hearing Carnaby speak, they were on board.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe didn\u2019t even think twice,\u201d Ornelas said. \u201cWe said, \u2018This is what we need to do.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m always willing to try something new and different,\u201d Gonz\u00e1lez said. \u201cIt made a lot of sense\u00a0to me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Carnaby is researching the effectiveness of an exercise-based dysphagia intervention for people\u00a0with Parkinson\u2019s disease who are experiencing the swallowing disorder called dysphagia. She believes the approach may help prolong their swallowing proficiency before it becomes significantly affected by the progression of their disease.<\/p>\n

When Gonz\u00e1lez joined the study in 2024, he underwent imaging and other assessments, including the measurement of his swallowing frequency. Over the course of 12 sessions, he learned a specific method for eating that includes paying attention to his breathing and swallowing and employing strategies for clearing food from his throat. He built up his strength and technique by working through a hierarchy of foods that are increasingly difficult to eat, with one of the hardest being a Cobb salad.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think my tongue began to untangle itself,\u201d he said of the changes he noticed. He compared the intervention to a workout, but one that is calibrated depending on the food being eaten.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat Dr. Carnaby is doing is a whole new technique,\u201d he said. \u201cShe describes it as doing a pushup.\u201d<\/p>\n

Before beginning the program, Gonz\u00e1lez carried a folded napkin to wipe his mouth because his slower rate of swallowing caused him to drool. He also would cough frequently to clear food lodged in his throat. Both issues subsided with treatment, he said.<\/p>\n

At the end of the program, Gonz\u00e1lez took a test of sorts: He had to consume 400 calories of a meal of his choice in 30 minutes. As he worked his way through a pile of breaded chicken strips and fries, Carnaby monitored his progress and offered encouraging reminders.<\/p>\n

\u201cSwallow hard and fast,\u201d she said. \u201cLess is more with this kind of stuff. Keep it as simple as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

About 20 million adults in the U.S. experience difficulty swallowing. They could find hope with an exercise-based intervention used to treat some with early Parkinson\u2019s disease.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":589,"featured_media":12009,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,276],"tags":[],"ppma_author":[289],"class_list":["post-11842","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","category-fall-2024"],"yoast_head":"\nHard to swallow: Helping dysphagia patients find hope and function - Mission Magazine<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"About 20 million adults in the U.S. experience a condition called dysphagia \u2014 literally, difficulty swallowing. A UT Health San Antonio speech pathologist and public health scientist is developing therapies to treat the most severe cases through an exercise-based intervention that is also being used as a preventative treatment for people with early Parkinson\u2019s disease.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/magazines.uthscsa.edu\/mission\/hard-to-swallow-helping-dysphagia-patients-find-hope-and-function\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Hard to swallow: Helping dysphagia patients find hope and function - Mission Magazine\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"About 20 million adults in the U.S. experience a condition called dysphagia \u2014 literally, difficulty swallowing. A UT Health San Antonio speech pathologist and public health scientist is developing therapies to treat the most severe cases through an exercise-based intervention that is also being used as a preventative treatment for people with early Parkinson\u2019s disease.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/magazines.uthscsa.edu\/mission\/hard-to-swallow-helping-dysphagia-patients-find-hope-and-function\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Mission Magazine\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-11-11T10:00:29+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-02-04T16:35:32+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/magazines.uthscsa.edu\/mission\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/11\/Dysphagia_iStock-500789765-scaled.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2560\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1707\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Kate Hunger\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Kate Hunger\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"8 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/magazines.uthscsa.edu\/mission\/hard-to-swallow-helping-dysphagia-patients-find-hope-and-function\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/magazines.uthscsa.edu\/mission\/hard-to-swallow-helping-dysphagia-patients-find-hope-and-function\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Kate Hunger\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/magazines.uthscsa.edu\/mission\/#\/schema\/person\/78b5dfc70145ddbb00321963054d38f2\"},\"headline\":\"Hard to swallow: Helping dysphagia patients find hope and function\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-11-11T10:00:29+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-02-04T16:35:32+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/magazines.uthscsa.edu\/mission\/hard-to-swallow-helping-dysphagia-patients-find-hope-and-function\/\"},\"wordCount\":1733,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/magazines.uthscsa.edu\/mission\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/magazines.uthscsa.edu\/mission\/hard-to-swallow-helping-dysphagia-patients-find-hope-and-function\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/magazines.uthscsa.edu\/mission\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/11\/Dysphagia_iStock-500789765-scaled.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Current\",\"Fall 2024\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/magazines.uthscsa.edu\/mission\/hard-to-swallow-helping-dysphagia-patients-find-hope-and-function\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/magazines.uthscsa.edu\/mission\/hard-to-swallow-helping-dysphagia-patients-find-hope-and-function\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/magazines.uthscsa.edu\/mission\/hard-to-swallow-helping-dysphagia-patients-find-hope-and-function\/\",\"name\":\"Hard to swallow: Helping dysphagia patients find hope and function - Mission Magazine\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/magazines.uthscsa.edu\/mission\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/magazines.uthscsa.edu\/mission\/hard-to-swallow-helping-dysphagia-patients-find-hope-and-function\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/magazines.uthscsa.edu\/mission\/hard-to-swallow-helping-dysphagia-patients-find-hope-and-function\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/magazines.uthscsa.edu\/mission\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/11\/Dysphagia_iStock-500789765-scaled.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-11-11T10:00:29+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-02-04T16:35:32+00:00\",\"description\":\"About 20 million adults in the U.S. experience a condition called dysphagia \u2014 literally, difficulty swallowing. A UT Health San Antonio speech pathologist and public health scientist is developing therapies to treat the most severe cases through an exercise-based intervention that is also being used as a preventative treatment for people with early Parkinson\u2019s disease.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/magazines.uthscsa.edu\/mission\/hard-to-swallow-helping-dysphagia-patients-find-hope-and-function\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/magazines.uthscsa.edu\/mission\/hard-to-swallow-helping-dysphagia-patients-find-hope-and-function\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/magazines.uthscsa.edu\/mission\/hard-to-swallow-helping-dysphagia-patients-find-hope-and-function\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/magazines.uthscsa.edu\/mission\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/11\/Dysphagia_iStock-500789765-scaled.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/magazines.uthscsa.edu\/mission\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/11\/Dysphagia_iStock-500789765-scaled.jpg\",\"width\":2560,\"height\":1707,\"caption\":\"Photo of health provider assisting patient experiencing trouble swallowing\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/magazines.uthscsa.edu\/mission\/hard-to-swallow-helping-dysphagia-patients-find-hope-and-function\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/magazines.uthscsa.edu\/mission\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Hard to swallow: Helping dysphagia patients find hope and function\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/magazines.uthscsa.edu\/mission\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/magazines.uthscsa.edu\/mission\/\",\"name\":\"Mission Magazine\",\"description\":\"The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio Mission magazine\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/magazines.uthscsa.edu\/mission\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/magazines.uthscsa.edu\/mission\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/magazines.uthscsa.edu\/mission\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Mission Magazine\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/magazines.uthscsa.edu\/mission\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/magazines.uthscsa.edu\/mission\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/magazines.uthscsa.edu\/mission\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/10\/UTHSA_logo_H_CMYK-350.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/magazines.uthscsa.edu\/mission\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/10\/UTHSA_logo_H_CMYK-350.jpg\",\"width\":350,\"height\":121,\"caption\":\"Mission Magazine\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/magazines.uthscsa.edu\/mission\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/magazines.uthscsa.edu\/mission\/#\/schema\/person\/78b5dfc70145ddbb00321963054d38f2\",\"name\":\"Kate Hunger\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/magazines.uthscsa.edu\/mission\/author\/hunger\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Hard to swallow: Helping dysphagia patients find hope and function - Mission Magazine","description":"About 20 million adults in the U.S. experience a condition called dysphagia \u2014 literally, difficulty swallowing. A UT Health San Antonio speech pathologist and public health scientist is developing therapies to treat the most severe cases through an exercise-based intervention that is also being used as a preventative treatment for people with early Parkinson\u2019s disease.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/magazines.uthscsa.edu\/mission\/hard-to-swallow-helping-dysphagia-patients-find-hope-and-function\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Hard to swallow: Helping dysphagia patients find hope and function - Mission Magazine","og_description":"About 20 million adults in the U.S. experience a condition called dysphagia \u2014 literally, difficulty swallowing. A UT Health San Antonio speech pathologist and public health scientist is developing therapies to treat the most severe cases through an exercise-based intervention that is also being used as a preventative treatment for people with early Parkinson\u2019s disease.","og_url":"https:\/\/magazines.uthscsa.edu\/mission\/hard-to-swallow-helping-dysphagia-patients-find-hope-and-function\/","og_site_name":"Mission Magazine","article_published_time":"2024-11-11T10:00:29+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-02-04T16:35:32+00:00","og_image":[{"width":2560,"height":1707,"url":"https:\/\/magazines.uthscsa.edu\/mission\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/11\/Dysphagia_iStock-500789765-scaled.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Kate Hunger","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Kate Hunger","Est. reading time":"8 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/magazines.uthscsa.edu\/mission\/hard-to-swallow-helping-dysphagia-patients-find-hope-and-function\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/magazines.uthscsa.edu\/mission\/hard-to-swallow-helping-dysphagia-patients-find-hope-and-function\/"},"author":{"name":"Kate Hunger","@id":"https:\/\/magazines.uthscsa.edu\/mission\/#\/schema\/person\/78b5dfc70145ddbb00321963054d38f2"},"headline":"Hard to swallow: Helping dysphagia patients find hope and function","datePublished":"2024-11-11T10:00:29+00:00","dateModified":"2026-02-04T16:35:32+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/magazines.uthscsa.edu\/mission\/hard-to-swallow-helping-dysphagia-patients-find-hope-and-function\/"},"wordCount":1733,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/magazines.uthscsa.edu\/mission\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/magazines.uthscsa.edu\/mission\/hard-to-swallow-helping-dysphagia-patients-find-hope-and-function\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/magazines.uthscsa.edu\/mission\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/11\/Dysphagia_iStock-500789765-scaled.jpg","articleSection":["Current","Fall 2024"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/magazines.uthscsa.edu\/mission\/hard-to-swallow-helping-dysphagia-patients-find-hope-and-function\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/magazines.uthscsa.edu\/mission\/hard-to-swallow-helping-dysphagia-patients-find-hope-and-function\/","url":"https:\/\/magazines.uthscsa.edu\/mission\/hard-to-swallow-helping-dysphagia-patients-find-hope-and-function\/","name":"Hard to swallow: Helping dysphagia patients find hope and function - Mission Magazine","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/magazines.uthscsa.edu\/mission\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/magazines.uthscsa.edu\/mission\/hard-to-swallow-helping-dysphagia-patients-find-hope-and-function\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/magazines.uthscsa.edu\/mission\/hard-to-swallow-helping-dysphagia-patients-find-hope-and-function\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/magazines.uthscsa.edu\/mission\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/11\/Dysphagia_iStock-500789765-scaled.jpg","datePublished":"2024-11-11T10:00:29+00:00","dateModified":"2026-02-04T16:35:32+00:00","description":"About 20 million adults in the U.S. experience a condition called dysphagia \u2014 literally, difficulty swallowing. A UT Health San Antonio speech pathologist and public health scientist is developing therapies to treat the most severe cases through an exercise-based intervention that is also being used as a preventative treatment for people with early Parkinson\u2019s disease.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/magazines.uthscsa.edu\/mission\/hard-to-swallow-helping-dysphagia-patients-find-hope-and-function\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/magazines.uthscsa.edu\/mission\/hard-to-swallow-helping-dysphagia-patients-find-hope-and-function\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/magazines.uthscsa.edu\/mission\/hard-to-swallow-helping-dysphagia-patients-find-hope-and-function\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/magazines.uthscsa.edu\/mission\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/11\/Dysphagia_iStock-500789765-scaled.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/magazines.uthscsa.edu\/mission\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/11\/Dysphagia_iStock-500789765-scaled.jpg","width":2560,"height":1707,"caption":"Photo of health provider assisting patient experiencing trouble swallowing"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/magazines.uthscsa.edu\/mission\/hard-to-swallow-helping-dysphagia-patients-find-hope-and-function\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/magazines.uthscsa.edu\/mission\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Hard to swallow: Helping dysphagia patients find hope and function"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/magazines.uthscsa.edu\/mission\/#website","url":"https:\/\/magazines.uthscsa.edu\/mission\/","name":"Mission Magazine","description":"The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio Mission magazine","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/magazines.uthscsa.edu\/mission\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/magazines.uthscsa.edu\/mission\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/magazines.uthscsa.edu\/mission\/#organization","name":"Mission Magazine","url":"https:\/\/magazines.uthscsa.edu\/mission\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/magazines.uthscsa.edu\/mission\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/magazines.uthscsa.edu\/mission\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/10\/UTHSA_logo_H_CMYK-350.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/magazines.uthscsa.edu\/mission\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/10\/UTHSA_logo_H_CMYK-350.jpg","width":350,"height":121,"caption":"Mission Magazine"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/magazines.uthscsa.edu\/mission\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/magazines.uthscsa.edu\/mission\/#\/schema\/person\/78b5dfc70145ddbb00321963054d38f2","name":"Kate Hunger","url":"https:\/\/magazines.uthscsa.edu\/mission\/author\/hunger\/"}]}},"authors":[{"term_id":289,"user_id":589,"is_guest":0,"slug":"hunger","display_name":"Kate Hunger","avatar_url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/3e513d566a82694c5b6511d958d439ecb1a2af0e4d985c74f3280d3bffa1afcb?s=96&d=mm&r=g","0":null,"1":"","2":"","3":"","4":"","5":"","6":"","7":"","8":""}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/magazines.uthscsa.edu\/mission\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11842","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/magazines.uthscsa.edu\/mission\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/magazines.uthscsa.edu\/mission\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magazines.uthscsa.edu\/mission\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/589"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magazines.uthscsa.edu\/mission\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11842"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/magazines.uthscsa.edu\/mission\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11842\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magazines.uthscsa.edu\/mission\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12009"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/magazines.uthscsa.edu\/mission\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11842"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magazines.uthscsa.edu\/mission\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11842"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magazines.uthscsa.edu\/mission\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11842"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magazines.uthscsa.edu\/mission\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=11842"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}