how to rehab your speech ms

• Improve Breathing. To improve breathing capabilities, speech-language pathologists may work with pulmonologists (lung specialists).
• Minimize Aspiration. When a person with MS develops difficulty swallowing foods and liquids, this causes major concerns, including dehydration, poor nutrition, choking, and aspiration (when you breathe food or drink ...
• Reduce Speech Difficulties. Speech problems are common in MS, affecting up to 40 percent of patients at some point. ...

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Can a speech therapist help with speech problems in MS?

Mar 30, 2012 · Medications to treat tremor include Klonopin (clonazepam), Inderal (propranolol), Mysoline (primidone), and Doriden (glutethimide). Fatigue can affect the muscular coordination and strength necessary for vocal production; medications that can be helpful in this regard include Symmetrel (amantadine), Provigil (modafinil), and Nuvigil (armodafinil).

How does multiple sclerosis (MS) affect speech?

Feb 05, 2013 · Your speech/language pathologist will tailor a treatment plan according to your specific problems, with the goal of improving intelligibility and restoring naturalness of speech. Typically, your speech/language pathologist will instruct you in exercises and behaviors to improve breath support and control, reduce the rate of speech (employing strategic pauses …

How can we better appreciate speech-related changes in MS?

Speech and Swallow Therapy. If MS causes problems with your voice or the way you speak, speech therapy works on your communication skills. …

What is the rehabilitation approach to MS?

Speak slowly, pause frequently and consider shortening your sentences to get the basic message out. 3) Let body language lend a hand. Face your listener, and use gestures and expressions to help people understand. 4) Take a break if you get tired. Try sending an email or writing down what you want to say.

How can MS improve speech?

Tips to improve speechSpeak slowly. It's OK to take your time. ... Take it easy when you're tired. Fatigue makes speech more difficult. ... Talk with your body. People don't just communicate through speech. ... Type it out. ... Work with a therapist. ... Use assistive devices. ... Plan it out. ... Check in with others.Jan 19, 2021

How does MS affect your speech?

People with MS may also slur words. This is usually the result of weakness and/or incoordination of the muscles of the tongue, lips, cheeks and mouth. Nasal speech is possible, which sounds as though the person has a cold or nasal obstruction.

Can MS change your speech?

As many as 40 percent of people who are diagnosed with MS will face speech difficulties at some time. The most common problems are loudness, a harsh quality to the voice, and problems with articulation and pitch. The symptom could hit hard with a relapse, or come and go several times a day on a regular basis.

Does MS make it hard to talk?

Problems with how you speak can be a symptom of multiple sclerosis for some people. MS speech disorders include slurring of speech and problems with the quality of your voice (dysarthria) and difficulty remembering specific words (dysphasia).

Can you lose speech with MS?

Speech difficulties of some kind are quite common for people with MS. Speech difficulties can come and go throughout the day, perhaps lasting only a few minutes at a time, and may be a symptom that appears during a relapse. For most people, changes in speech are mild, and don't stop them from being understood.

How long does it take for MS to disable you?

Most symptoms develop abruptly, within hours or days. These attacks or relapses of MS typically reach their peak within a few days at most and then resolve slowly over the next several days or weeks so that a typical relapse will be symptomatic for about eight weeks from onset to recovery. Resolution is often complete.

Does MS affect life expectancy?

MS itself is rarely fatal, but complications may arise from severe MS, such as chest or bladder infections, or swallowing difficulties. The average life expectancy for people with MS is around 5 to 10 years lower than average, and this gap appears to be getting smaller all the time.

How does MS affect your legs?

Over time, your muscles can get weaker and weaker. Some people with MS find that their muscles tire more easily than usual. For example, someone with MS might find that their legs might start to feel unstable or they may have trouble moving them after periods of exercise, like walking.

Does MS affect your memory?

Over time, about half of people with MS can have some cognitive problems. That means poor focus, slowed thinking, or a fuzzy memory. Often, these problems are mild and don't really interrupt your daily life. It's rare to have severe thinking problems.Nov 18, 2021

Can MS make it hard to swallow?

Overview. Dysphagia, or difficulty in swallowing, can occur in people with MS. While more frequent in advanced disease, it can occur at any time. Both chewing and swallowing require a number of muscles in the mouth and throat to work in a coordinated way.

How to improve breath control?

Typically, your speech/language pathologist will instruct you in exercises and behaviors to improve breath support and control, reduce the rate of speech (employing strategic pauses between words), exaggerate articulation, and practice active self-correcting and -monitoring of speech.

Why do people with MS need a speech pathologist?

Because speech problems (and related swallowing problems) are common in MS, the speech/language pathologist is an integral member of the rehabilitation team for persons living with MS. It is easy to take speech for granted. However, only when we develop a speech problem do we discover how complex the activity of normal speech is.

What is the first step in a speech pathologist evaluation?

Evaluating speech problems. After referral for a speech problem, the first step taken will be for your speech/language pat hologist to make a thorough evaluation of the problem. This typically involves: (1). Evaluation of the muscles and structures in your mouth and body that contribute to making speech. These include components that allow you ...

What are the areas of speech and language pathology?

It relies on a number of systems to work together smoothly: respiration, phonation, resonance, articulation, and prosody. These are the areas that a speech/language pathologist will focus on in assessing and treating speech problems.

What are the two types of speech problems?

There are two major types of speech problems associated with MS: (1) dysarthria, a loss of control over the muscles involved in speech , and (2) dysphonia, a problem with voice quality.

What is a brief recording of you speaking spontaneously?

A brief recording may be made of you speaking spontaneously to be analyzed for variables of speaking rate, number of words per breath, between-word pauses , precision of articulation, intelligibility, and conversational flow.

What is the use of lips, tongue, and soft palate?

Use of lips, tongue, and soft palate (with quick movements) to make fine adjustments in sound for clarity of speech. Prosody. A natural flow of speech that results from combining all the systems above, while making appropriate adjustments in speaking rate, pauses, and changes in loudness and emphasis to serve communication goals.

What can an occupational therapist do to conserve energy?

An occupational therapist can work with you on ways to conserve your energy. For example, if your fatigue limits your ability to go grocery shopping, your occupational therapist may suggest using a scooter when running errands.

What is the role of rehabilitation in MS?

Along with the medications that treat multiple sclerosis (MS), rehabilitation is a key part of managing your condition effectively, particularly after a relapse. Depending on your symptoms, you may only occasionally need rehabilitation or you may require these therapies regularly to help you stay as healthy as possible.

How to improve cognitive function?

Engaging in physical exercise, which has been shown in studies to help improve cognitive function. Stress management and psychotherapy may also be a part of cognitive rehabilitation, especially considering the fact that depression is so common in MS.

What can a physical therapist do for MS?

A physical therapist can teach you how to maintain good posture and body positioning, which may alleviate some of your MS-related pain. If you're in a wheelchair or you have limited mobility, proper positioning can also prevent pressure sores .

Why is it important to exercise?

One of the reasons that exercise helps is that being inactive actually contributes to fatigue by causing your body to work harder to do everything because it's out of shape. Exercise can also combat stress, help you sleep better, and improve your mood—all factors that can affect your fatigue level.

How does physical therapy help you?

A physical therapist can teach you exercises to reduce muscle pain, spasticity, and weakness, as well as help you improve your balance, coordination , strength, and flexibility.

What are some examples of mobility devices?

Examples of mobility devices include single-point or quad canes, motorized scooters, rolling walkers, and manual or power wheelchairs.

What is restorative therapy for MS?

Different forms of rehab therapy, also called restorative rehabilitation, target the way MS changes your life. It helps you stay independent and handle many of the physical, mental, and emotional challenges you face.

What is occupational therapy?

Occupational therapy tries to change and simplify the way you do everyday tasks at home. The goal is to let you work safely without having to rely on help from other folks, and make your daily life easier and more enjoyable. In general, an occupational therapist can help you find easier ways to: Write.

How does cognitive rehab work?

If those are problems for you, cognitive rehab fights back by helping you work that big muscle called your brain. Cognitive rehabilitation can make a big difference in your life. A neuropsychologist, someone who specializes in brain changes caused by disease or trauma, can show you activities to sharpen your skills.

What does a SLP do?

Your SLP will also test everything from your lips and throat to the larynx -- an organ in your neck that holds your vocal cords. They'll point out ways to change your diet or hold your head while swallowing. Sexual Dysfunction Therapy.

How does MS affect your mood?

Counseling. MS can sometimes affect your mood in unpredictable ways. You may get worried about your future or feel isolated from your family and friends. Just as other forms of rehab therapy focus on ways to help you handle your everyday tasks, your feelings may benefit from some training as well.

What is vocational rehab?

A vocational rehab specialist can also talk to you about your legal rights on the job. They can explain how the Americans with Disabilities Act may allow you to make tweaks to your workplace that take into account your MS symptoms. Recreational Therapy. This form of rehab is work disguised as fun.

What is the best treatment for MS?

If MS causes problems with your voice or the way you speak, speech therapy works on your communication skills. A speech-language pathologist (SLP) tests your mouth, voice, and breath and shows you exercises that can strengthen weak areas. Speech therapy is also useful if you're having trouble swallowing, called dysphagia.

What is the best medicine for spasticity?

Medications used to treat spasticity, including Lioresal (baclofen) and Zanaflex (tizanidine), may be useful in cases where spasticity is affecting muscle tone in the vocal cords, tongue, lips, and soft palate or keeping the diaphragm, which supplies support to the voice, from working normally.

What are the two types of speech disorders?

There are two types of speech disorders that occur in MS, dysarthrias and dysphonias. Speech problems where the motor muscle components of speech are affected are dysarthrias (these typically affect volume control and articulation) while speech problems that affect voice quality are dysphonias.

What causes hypernasality in the vocal cords?

Hypernasality caused by weakness or lack of coordination in soft palate. Pitch level irregularities (too high or low) caused by changes in muscle tone. Breathiness caused by lack of coordination in vocal cords. Hoarseness caused by vocal cords coming together too tightly and too loosely.

What is the difference between impaired articulation and impaired emphasis?

Impaired emphasis: speech becomes slowed or broken up with inappropriate pauses, difficulty applying appropriate stress on words or varying pitches and loudness for emphasis.

How common is speech disorder in MS?

Speech disorders are fairly common in people with MS, affecting an estimated 41% to 51% of MS patients at some point during their illness.

Why does MS make my speech slow?

For instance, damage in the cerebellum, which is the primary cause of speech problems in MS, often results in a slowing of speech with diminished fluency. If brain areas that control the tongue, lips, soft palate, cheeks, or breathing muscles are affected, speech patterns can become slurred.

Does MS have speech problems?

Problems with speech in MS may come and go, appearing with exacerbations during which symptoms often worsen then gradually improve. Whether problems progressively worsen depends on the course of the disease for a particular patient. There are two types of speech disorders that occur in MS, dysarthrias and dysphonias.

What happens if you can't swallow?

When you can’t swallow properly, you might inhale food or liquids into your windpipe instead of getting them down your esophagus and into your stomach. Once in the lungs, they can cause pneumonia or abscesses.

How to swallow a syringe?

Go slowly. Aim to eat about 1/2 teaspoon of your food at a time. You may need to swallow two or three times per bite or sip. If food or liquid catches in your throat, cough gently or clear your throat, and swallow again before you take a breath. Concentrate on swallowing often.

What can a speech therapist do to help you swallow?

A speech therapist can also help with swallowing problems . They might suggest changes in diet, positioning of your head, or exercises that can help. In very severe cases, feeding tubes can deliver nutrients and fluids directly into the stomach. Along with therapy, there are things you can do to make swallowing easier:

How to make swallowing easier?

Along with therapy, there are things you can do to make swallowing easier: Sit upright at a 90-degree angle, tilt your head slightly forward, or stay sitting or standing upright for 45 to 60 minutes after you eat. Stay focused on the tasks of eating and drinking. Keep distractions away.

How to make your mouth salivate?

For example, you can make drinks colder or try carbonated beverages. Drink plenty of fluids. Suck on popsicles, ice chips, or lemon-flavored water to get your mouth to make more saliva, which will help you swallow more often.

Why do people with MS slur?

Slurring words. It usually happens because of weak tongue, lip, and mouth muscles. Trouble changing tone of voice.

How to help someone with speech problems?

If you feel comfortable, it may help to let the other person know you have a speech problem. Try to talk with someone face-to-face whenever possible.

What are the activities of a supine?

Activities include bed mobility; supine to short sit; sitting balance (static and dynamic) for hygiene; transfers on and off all surfaces (toilet, bed, etc); standing balance (static and dynamic) such as for hygiene activities, food preparation, meals or clean-up; ambulation; and stair climbing.

What muscle is most commonly affected by MS?

Primary MS weakness is most commonly evident in anti-gravity muscles in the lower extremities, specifically the iliopsoas, the rectus femoris, the hamstrings, and the anterior tibialis. Secondary weakness in MS often occurs due to disuse, deconditioning, and development of compensatory movement.

What are the factors that affect MS?

Environmental factors (excessive heat) or personal factors (stress, anxiety, or depression) can further impact activities of daily living and participation. The inter-relatedness of the many factors impacting function for patients with MS should be considered with any assessments and rehabilitation plans.

Can MS cause speech problems?

In addition, speech and voice parameters can worsen due to xerostomia (dry mouth), gastroesophageal reflux, pseudoexacerbation, medication effects, or lifestyle habits such as tobacco and alcohol use and vocal abuse/misuse.

Is MS progressive or progressive?

Some patients with MS have progressive disease from the onset, in which functional decline is steady, without acute attacks or periods of remission. As illustrated in Figure 1 , the early stages of disease are associated with increasing inflammatory activity, as evidenced by relapses and MRI activity.

Is Nurse Practitioner Alternatives accredited?

Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity. Nurses: Nurse Practitioner Alternatives is accredited as a provider of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation.

Who provides mental health care for MS patients?

Depending on the practice environment, mental health care for patients with MS may be provided by neurologists, primary care clinicians, and mental health professionals. A strong referral network to mental health professions and identification of mental health services/resources for patients are recommended.

What is physical therapy?

Physical therapy might include an exercise program, gait (walking) training and training in the use of mobility aids (poles, canes, crutches, scooters and/or wheelchairs) and other assistive devices. The goal is to promote independence, safety, and achieve and maintain optimal functioning. In addition rehabilitation can help prevent complications such as de-conditioning, muscle weakness from lack of mobility and muscle contractures related to spasticity. Physical therapy can also include pelvic floor exercises to address urinary/bladder issues.

What is the job of a neuropsychologist?

Neuropsychologists — as well as many OTs and SLPs — evaluate and treat changes in a person’s ability to think, reason, concentrate or remember. While these professionals use different evaluation and treatment strategies, they share the common goal of helping people function optimally if cognitive changes are experienced.

What is the goal of MS rehabilitation?

The goal of rehabilitation is to improve and maintain your function — an essential component of comprehensive MS care. From the time of diagnosis onward, rehabilitation specialists provide education and strategies designed to promote your health. wellness and overall conditioning, reduce fatigue, and help you function optimally at home and at work.

Speech-Language Therapy

Cognitive Rehabilitation

Vocational Rehabilitation

Multidisciplinary Programs

• Multidisciplinary rehabilitation programs involve a team of healthcare professionals from two or more specialties, such as medical, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech-language therapy, cognitive rehabilitation, neurology, nursing, etc. These programs can be in-patient or out-patient. The aforementioned 2019 Cochrane review found that a ...

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