Parkinson’s Disease & Voice Therapy

If you have Parkinson’s Disease and you routinely get asked to repeat yourself because you:

• Have a quiet voice,
• Mumble your speech, or
• Talk to quickly

Or have the following:
• Sensation of “choking on air,”
• Drooling, or
• Swallow difficulties

You should talk to your provider to determine if Speech Therapy with a specially trained Speech Pathologist is right for you.

That definitely could be, however, since Parkinson’s Disease can play a trick on you by impairing how you think you sound, it’s worth further investigation.

Especially since weak muscles and impaired coordination of your voice, breathing and face muscles can impact your safety with swallowing.

At the first visit with a specially trained Speech Pathologist, you should be able to tell if you would benefit from speech therapy.

They have the tools to help assess the very first day if your voice can get louder and clearer.

See below for an overview of therapy and a before-and-after video.

Parkinson’s Disease Speech Therapy Programs are helpful at any stage.

Improving your speech, voice and swallowing muscles can help you live a fuller life. It also can decrease risk of aspiration pneumonia, a common impact that Parkinson’s has on your health.

Starting early is an excellent way to get a leg up and create a habit of using the muscles to their full potential. We know that effortful exercises is helpful for those with Parkinson’s Disease, working on your speech muscles is just as important at any stage.

There are two different Parkinson’s Disease speech programs that a Speech Therapist can have training in.

Both of these programs have a listserv where you can find a therapist in your area or state who is trained.

Keep in mind that teletherapy is a great option for speech therapy.

Search for a specially trained Speech Pathologist in your area at: Parkinson Voice Project® or LSVT LOUD®

Or email us to help find a great match for you!