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Speech Training & Breathing Exercises for Parkinson's

Parkinson's disease is a life altering, debilitating disease that progressively takes away a person's ability to control movements and to function in a normal manner. It impacts a person's ability to move at will and to perform simple tasks such as standing or maintaining balance. It may impact a patient's ability to speak. There are a number of treatments for Parkinson's to lessen symptoms, but there is no cure.

  1. Parkinson's Disease

    • Parkinson's disease is a central nervous system disorder that impacts over 1.5 million people in the United States. As the disease progresses, the patient loses the ability to control some muscle movements. Symptoms of the disease include rigidity, tremor, slowing of movements, and inability to retain balance. There are also many secondary symptoms, including constipation, difficulty swallowing, choking, dry skin, anxiety, and depression. The disease is usually diagnosed in individuals over 50 years of age although younger individuals may develop Parkinson's as well.

    Speech Training

    • As many as 60 to 90 percent of Parkinson's patients develop dysarthria or other speech disorders. They may also have difficulty speaking at a volume loud enough for people to hear. They often have trouble with articulation or speak in a monotone. Their voice may fade at the end of sentences or they may have problems with rate of speech. Their speech may have a breathy or sing-song quality.

      Speech therapy helps Parkinson's patients in a number of ways. The goal of the therapist is to help patients improve articulation and to control the volume of their voice. These goals are accomplished by way of a variety of exercises. For example, one exercise helps patients learn to control tongue movements. Other exercises focus on verbalization. The therapist may recommend the use of a computer or machine generated voice for patients with severe speech difficulties. The therapist will also assist family members in developing non-verbal forms of communication to ensure the patient has a way of expressing needs when verbal speech is not possible (See Reference 2, pg.5).

    Breathing Exercises

    • Breathing exercises are beneficial to many people who suffer from Parkinson's. Patient's are encouraged to follow a regular exercise routine that includes muscle strengthening exercises and breathing exercises. Breathing exercises can be a part of speech therapy.

      Parkinson's patients may benefit from yoga exercise classes. One reason for this is because yoga focuses on breathing and meditation, which are especially beneficial for people having difficulty with tremors. Many of the exercises are done from a seated position so the Parkinson's patient does not have to worry about balance issues.

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