Empi, a DJO Company, today announced noted researcher and author, Peter G. Levine, makes mention of VitalStim® Therapy in his best selling self-help intervention guide to stroke recovery, Stronger After Stroke: Your Roadmap to Recovery. VitalStim Therapy was included in his recommendations of recovery machines for stroke survivors.
According to leading swallowing expert Dr. Jonathan Aviv of Columbia University, as many as 65 percent of stroke patients have some degree of dysphagia, or inability to swallow normally.(StrokeSmart, Jan. 2008).
Dr. Aviv also writes, “The best example of the ubiquitous nature of swallowing problems in the elderly is demonstrated by the frequency with which they occur after stroke. Dysphagia is very common in the 400,000 people each year who develop a stroke, primarily affecting those over 70 years of age.” (Geriatric Otolaryngology)
Since its publication, Stronger After Stroke: Your Roadmap to Recovery has become an inspirational guide for stroke survivors and caregivers across the country. According to a description on the Amazon.com site:
About the Author
Peter G. Levine is co-director of the Neuromotor Recovery and Rehabilitation Laboratory, and a researcher with the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Cincinnati Academic Medical Center in Cincinnati, Ohio. Levine has been involved in stroke-specific rehabilitation research for almost a decade and has been published in journals and magazines, including the National Stroke Association's StrokeSmart. Levine also writes a monthly column in Advance for Physical Therapists and conducts workshops throughout the US in the area of stroke rehabilitation and neuroplasticity.
About VitalStim® Therapy
VitalStim® Therapy is a patented therapy process and equipment system developed specifically to treat dysphagia. It is the only Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation (NMES) therapy and equipment system to have received clearance from the Food & Drug Administration for the treatment of dysphagia: muscle re-education by application of external stimulation to the muscles necessary for pharyngeal contraction. In addition to two patents and FDA clearance, VitalStim® Therapy is backed by comprehensive clinical data. To date, VitalStim® Therapy has been administered with no reported adverse effects to over 100,000 patients by over 11,000 VitalStim-trained and certified therapists around the country. VitalStim® Therapy is a product of Empi, a DJO company.
About DJO Incorporated
DJO is a leading global developer, manufacturer and distributor of high-quality medical devices that provide solutions for musculoskeletal health, vascular health and pain management. The Company's products address the continuum of patient care from injury prevention to rehabilitation after surgery, injury or from degenerative disease. Our products are used by orthopedic specialists, spine surgeons, primary care physicians, pain management specialists, physical therapists, podiatrists, chiropractors, athletic trainers and other healthcare professionals. In addition, many of the Company's medical devices and related accessories are used by athletes and patients for injury prevention and at-home physical therapy treatment. The Company's product lines include rigid and soft orthopedic bracing, hot and cold therapy, bone growth stimulators, vascular systems, electrical stimulators used for pain management and physical therapy products. The Company’s surgical division offers a comprehensive suite of reconstructive joint products for the hip, knee and shoulder. DJO's products are marketed under the brands Aircast®, DonJoy®, ProCare®, CMF™, Empi®, Saunders®, Chattanooga, DJO Surgical, Cefar®-Compex® and Ormed®. For additional information on the Company, please visit www.DJOglobal.com.
Contacts:
Company Investor/Media Contact:
Empi,
Inc.
Sara Oxton, VitalStim Therapy Brand Manager
651-415-7479
soxton@empi.com