EPISODE · Jun 4, 2026 · 46 MIN
sEMG & The Evolution of Swallowing Rehabilitation with Professor Maggie-Lee Huckabee
from Dysphagia Research Bites · host Dysphagia Bites
If there's one thing that hasn't aged well in dysphagia management, it's the idea that swallowing is only a reflex. Over the past few decades, our understanding of cortical control in swallowing has fundamentally shifted, and so have our approaches to rehabilitation. In this episode, Professor Maggie-Lee Huckabee walks us through that evolution: from reflex-based compensation, to muscle strengthening, to where we are now: skill-based training that targets neural networks and motor planning. We also get into the practical side of surface EMG biofeedback, what it actually is, how it differs from NMES, and how to use it clinically. In this episode we cover:The distinction between sEMG and NMES How our understanding of cortical control in swallowing has evolved, and what that means for how we approach rehabilitationThe shift from compensation-based approaches to muscle strengthening, and then to skill-based trainingThe importance of the cranial nerve examination in directing our rehabilitation approachHow skill-based swallowing impairments might look on VFSSPractical application of sEMG biofeedbackBiSSkApp: an sEMG biofeedback system that patients can use at home while clinicians can have remote access to data The publication this episode is based on:Huckabee, M-L., Mills, M., Flynn, R., & Doeltgen, S. (2023). The evolution of swallowing rehabilitation and emergence of biofeedback modalities. Current Otorhinolaryngology Reports, 11, 144–153. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40136-023-00451-8 Where to find the resources mentioned:BiSSkApp by Swallowing Technologies (SwalTech): https://swaltech.com/bisskapp/For clinical resources and evidence-based dysphagia education beyond the podcast, head to: www.dysphagiabites.com
What this episode covers
If there's one thing that hasn't aged well in dysphagia management, it's the idea that swallowing is only a reflex. Over the past few decades, our understanding of cortical control in swallowing has fundamentally shifted, and so have our approaches to rehabilitation. In this episode, Professor Maggie-Lee Huckabee walks us through that evolution: from reflex-based compensation, to muscle strengthening, to where we are now: skill-based training that targets neural networks and motor planning. We also get into the practical side of surface EMG biofeedback, what it actually is, how it differs from NMES, and how to use it clinically. In this episode we cover:The distinction between sEMG and NMES How our understanding of cortical control in swallowing has evolved, and what that means for how we approach rehabilitationThe shift from compensation-based approaches to muscle strengthening, and then to skill-based trainingThe importance of the cranial nerve examination in directing our rehabilitation approachHow skill-based swallowing impairments might look on VFSSPractical application of sEMG biofeedbackBiSSkApp: an sEMG biofeedback system that patients can use at home while clinicians can have remote access to data The publication this episode is based on:Huckabee, M-L., Mills, M., Flynn, R., & Doeltgen, S. (2023). The evolution of swallowing rehabilitation and emergence of biofeedback modalities. Current Otorhinolaryngology Reports, 11, 144–153. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40136-023-00451-8 Where to find the resources mentioned:BiSSkApp by Swallowing Technologies (SwalTech): https://swaltech.com/bisskapp/For clinical resources and evidence-based dysphagia education beyond the podcast, head to: www.dysphagiabites.com
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sEMG & The Evolution of Swallowing Rehabilitation with Professor Maggie-Lee Huckabee
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