To study the effect of pharyngeal constrictor muscle strengthening training combined with traditional Chinese medicine rehabilitation on the feeding of food of different consistency in patients with swallowing disorders in the pharyngeal stage.

Ninety-five patients with swallowing disorders in pharyngeal stage included in our hospital from April 2022 to February 2024 were selected for observation, and grouped according to the randomized numerical table method. 47 cases in the study group received pharyngeal contraction muscle strengthening training combined with traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) rehabilitation, and 48 cases in the control group received pharyngeal contraction muscle strengthening training, and the results of clinical assessment of pharyngeal function were compared with those of the two groups, including the positive rate of the modified volumetric viscosity test (VVST-CV), the classification of the Functional Oral Intake Scale (FOIS), drinking test, and swallowing function clinical assessment results.

There was no difference in the results of FOIS and drinking test between the two groups before treatment (P >0.05), and after treatment, the FOIS grade of the study group was higher than that of the control group, but the drinking test grade was lower than that of the control group (P <0.01). There was no difference in the results of clinical assessment of swallowing function between the two groups before treatment (P >0.05), and after treatment, the incidence of effective cough was higher in the study group than in the control group, and the maximum respiratory time and the number of repeated salivary swallows were higher in comparison with the control group, but the time required for eating was less than that in the control group (P <0.01). The post-treatment positive rates of the study group for foods of different consistencies (No.1-3) were 29.79%, 14.89%, and 25.53%, respectively, all of which were lower than those of the control group, 64.58%, 45.83%, and 54.17% (P < 0.01).

For patients with swallowing disorders in the pharyngeal phase, transpharyngeal constrictor muscle strengthening training combined with Chinese medicine rehabilitation intervention is more effective, which can improve the swallowing function of patients eating food of different consistency, increase the effective cough, the longest respiratory time and the number of repeated salivary swallowing, and it is worth to be popularized and used in the clinic.