**9. Conclusions**

In functional swallowing disorders related to spinal dysfunctions, pharmacologic treatment often fails. Many patients become disappointed with the treatment failure and seeming inability of physicians to identify the cause of their discomfort. On the other hand, rehabilitation therapy focused on the musculoskeletal system can sometimes suprisingly and quickly treat patient ailments. The vertebrogenic mechanism of functional dysphagia is therefore not only of academic significance but of clinical importance as well. Swallowing disorders can be due not only to structural changes, but frequently to dysfunction of the spinal column and its musculature.
