I would like to know if there are any members in this group who has speech problems with low voice pitch , because of which they are undergoing speech therapy conducted by Parkinson voice project
Speech therapy : I would like to know if... - Cure Parkinson's
Speech therapy
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Ripraniya
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I do it several times/week.
Do you find improvement in your speech now?
I think it helps - somewhat. There is precious little else. I think that like all other exercise, it has to be done often
PS. I also use an EMST 25 reps, 2/day
Thanks a lot for your valuable inputs. I am also practicing with Samantha everyday though not live as the time doesn't suit me. I just wanted to know if we could talk like some of the people who claim to have regained speech after the speak out exercises I am also using emst
.
Quite a few must think it helps. She has 3,000 pwp/session tune in live.
Thanks for raising this topic, Ripraniya
I am having trouble with the speech also. However, I have issues with poor voice clarity, stuttering, slurring and overall absolutely poor voice intelligibility in addition to weak voice volume. I have found some success with Samantha, but it has to be done everyday. Live or recording doesn't matter actually. Plus I believe that the. PvP now has local affiliates depending on where you live. I am going to see if they have one nearby.
I am curious whether Parkinsons affects young onset patients differently than those diagnosed at a later stage of life.
I encourage those reading this to chime in please.
Hi pdpatient.... yes my husband is Young Onset. He's 61 now, dx when 36 yrs. He NEVER had any problems with voice until DBS in 2012. (See note above to author). In the last 2 years SUDDENLY it progressed which I feel after documenting everything from the start of this until now is I feel due to progression of the disease itself - falls have become worse due to postural instability, voice, mild cognitive decline - I think stress has definitely exacerbated these symptoms. Overall the common symptoms of dystonia, tremor, Bradykinesia, dyskinesias from meds, have been under good control by the DBS and still are. I don't want to hijack the post....there are so many things when really Young Onset that seem quite different progression wise to later life dx.
Yes , hubbys the same age but not eligible for dbs due to cognitive impairment::.so many differences! I was just reading an article about possibly tuning the dbs to lower frequencies to help with speech and gait for more advanced PD. . Might be worth looking into.
Appreciate the thought thanks LeharLover62. Very sorry to hear that your hubby couldn't have the DBS. I know they checked the cognitive before they went ahead with the DBS GPI area . Kinder supposedly on the cognitive, I tend to disagree.
Unfortunately with the lower settings, ie volts or frequencies or Pulse width can for some short periods work for loudness but it always regresses a few days later. On the gait, the lower volts setting can work, depending on which Program he is on, but then with long term high Levodopa use as he has, the dyskinesias start being impacted and higher settings to settle them is required. Then everything else goes worse again.
It's not a clear science. The above can work and other days it doesn't.... so frustrating. I know from what our Neuro said, it doesn't make sense that the Dyskins get better on taking up the voltage and yet with him it does. Unfortunately in the end, our Neuro has said that with Advanced PD the gait and speech can not be helped by DBS. GULP !!
Yes me it's called last it's good but you have to keep exercing in other words keep rabbiting
what is emst?
I just googled it: expiratory muscle strength training device to help speech and swallowing... I'm interested!
My husband had two terrifying choking incidents,and he started using a breathing exerciser,and it has made a great difference in his ability to swallow,but also helped with his speech,He did the 10 week Speak LOUD course with an NHS voice physiotherapist,and it made a positive difference,but as every one has said before,we have to do the exercises EVERY DAY,missing a couple of days really makes his voice worse.
My husband does voice training with the Parkinsons Voice Project, and he was advised by his speech therapist to do it twice a day. Some days he can get to it and sometimes not. I feel for him because PD is relentless and staying on top of your therapies is exhausting. However, if he stays on track, it does make a difference. I can definitely tell when he hasn't been doing his voice training.
Hey Rocketman - yesiree - that's what our Neuro said to us. It does work but the issue is getting the PWP to stay on top of the never-ending therapies... not so easy - but so necessary.
Yes. Just started Speak Out with that bloody annoying woman ‘with intent’. 😳
But the 'intent' is so key in ALL of the PD issues. Same with the gait. There has to be the 'intent' to walk upright, think of each action before it happens... or 'face plant' it is.
Bunny, I was exploring the design of what I call Parkinson Helmet using new materials that are light and protective upon impact. That is because most Parkinson patients fall backwards.
Your comment intrigued me. Are you saying that your husband falls mostly face forward?
Hi pdpatient.....
Interesting on a Helmet and can see the need for backwards falls.
But, I respectfully disagree on the comment that most PD patients fall backwards. It may be part of the answer to your question of how Young Onset is different to Later stage onset - the fall paths?
Our Neuro has been quite specific to us on falls. For my husband approx 80% of his falls are forwards, approx 15% sideways and 2-5% backwards. She stipulated unequivocably that 'postural instability' for him causes backwards falls and is typical of Advanced PD.
The awful thing is that any one fall can be catastrophic. He wears knee pads and at present is learning from a Fight Academy how to fall properly without hurting himself. It's been so far VERY enouraging.
I know, I know. It’s the Brit in me that balks at the smooth American presentation style
Ha, you beat me to it - I was going to say that 🐱 but then I sort of knew you would ! 😄
She is annoying…hubby couldn’t take her!
Don't you think it's very unfair on your part to attribute such adjectives to a person who is trying her best for all of us,who are total strangers to her. Who else is doing such a noble service
Probably as fair as somebody who’s contributed 3 posts coming into the community and setting themselves up as our moral judge. Butt out and don’t try to lecture others publicly.
Mio marito ha problemi di voce: spesso bassa e impastata. Ha fatto esercizi di logopedia con poco successo, finché non ha incontrato, al Centro Regen di Boario Terme, un logopedista che utilizza il metodo Gordon. Si tratta proprio di parlare con intento, e non richiede molti esercizi. Funziona, se lo applichi. Peccato che lui non si applichi per niente, al momento...
Translation via Google :
My husband has voice problems: often low and slurred. He did speech therapy exercises with little success until he met a speech therapist who uses the Gordon method at the Regen Center in Boario Terme. It's really about speaking with intent, and it doesn't require many exercises. It works, if you apply it. Too bad he doesn't apply himself at all at the moment...
I completed the LSVT Loud course a couple of years ago. It helped me to learn how to project my voice and to compensate for the softness of my voice by using breathing and sustained sound. The test was - “if you think you’re shouting, you’re speaking normally”. Everyone has a different approach - I found the most benefit in enunciating soliloquies from Shakespeare as if acting on the stage. Others do long “Aaaaaahs” repeatedly. There are lots of ways. It is easy to fall back into the old ways but as with every other aspect of PD, you just have to push yourself. It’s tiring but what aspect of PD isn’t?
Yes this is great Lyricist - exactly what the guys in NZ taught - enunciation, projection.
Yes, my husband is having speech therapy. But is not working so good .
Hi Ripraniya,
My husband has been having low level issues with speech since he had DBS in 2012, not before. He is young onset (61 yrs now) had PD for 25+ years. It's only in the last 2 years that the speech has near disappeared at times, but mainly low level, slurred, no projection. He did a 'speech therapy in NZ based on LSVT' back in 2021 and I found it copied closely what is required but it was via Zoom, not in person (which I think it needs to be). He did it 4 times a week with them for a month and after each session he was tired but clearer and louder - but it didn't last. At the end nothing was better for ONE reason only. He did not practice any of the exercises given to help project, enunciate or bring clarity to his voice. It HAS to be a life long commitment.
Now he is speaking in a whisper around 75% of the time. Bursts of loud in the morning, but either far too rapid speaking or slurred (mainly due to saliva buildup due to not swallowing enough (another PD side effect of slowing movement). So the morale of this post is - yes speech therapy does work but you have to put in the time. I think many people with this issue don't realise it's a large put due to 'impaired breathing and muscle constriction' because of the PD progression.
The trouble also is - if you don't believe in this type of therapy, then it isn't going to work, you have to put in the yards.
The trouble is ‘Buns’ is that there doesn’t seem to be a declared rationale to it. If your voice is damaged by PD, are they saying their therapy can unpick some of this? If not, then you’re just raising the volume of what you’re saying which doesn’t really require coaching does it? So I have to shout from now on? Is that it?!😘🤔
No - that's not it. Shouting is damaging to the vocal chords, just like singers that sing too long at loud volume. Can you try looking at it another way maybe.... Whether your voice is not projecting, it's not fluid, it's quiet, it's slurred or all of the above. This is not from damage to the voice from what I understand, it's from loss of movement and muscle activation which includes loss of structured breathing to project the words out, loss of strength. Shouting is not part of LSVT not from what I have seen. It's about structured exercises to speak louder by doing 'Ha's, AA's or whatever the instructor tells you to do. Singing through different levels from low to high. My husbands voice was tested which is simple. There is nothing wrong with his voice. Can you lower your voice and make it go higher again. Yes he could. But it broke or he didn't have enough breath to keep the sentence going or the " Ha's" (extended for as long as possible over 20 seconds for example). I did the exercises with him and the therapist. Showing how it should sound, to what he was doing and we taped it. It was shocking to see how the 'breathing' impacted everything - and my husband isn't a slouch he is an active person including cycling. (when his bike isn't broken😱😍). Falls when stops (balance issue).
I agree with you totally. Firstly you should believe that you can do it. Next you should practice relentlessly which is ofcourse a bit tough . I wish, someone in our families assumes the responsibility of motivating us to do the practice atleast twice a day
Wish you all good luck
I appreciate it’s so difficult doing excercises when you are feeling exhausted through doing nothing! I get my husband to do square breathing to exercise his lungs to help eliminate mucus which affects his vocal cords before he tunes into Samantha… I love Samantha and use her word ‘intent’ often to encourage him to try harder, he doesn’t like the word but funnily enough he can tell me where to ‘go’ with intent 😂. Anyway if it helps… 1) Look for or imagine a square. 2) Start at the top of the square and breathe in for the count of 4 seconds and work your way around to the right. 3) Hold it for 4 seconds if you can manage it. Breath out for 4. It’s good exercise to do if you can’t sleep. x
Ah yes - this is also called Box Breathing.... it's great for anxiety as well and sleep as you have said. Ha !! Nice to read it works for you. I love your 'he can tell me where to go with intent' 😆😆😆 - so can mine !
I read your comment with amusement that your husband can tell you where to "go" with intent because I can relate. My husband may have difficulty speaking with intent, but during a disagreement, he can sure shout with intent! EVERY word is clear when that happens. 🙄
My husband had LSVT for voice and also the PT portion for walking (big and loud) a few years ago. He did a refresher for the voice this year. During the sessions for LSVT he used a breather - northernspeech.com/respirat...
Purchased Speechvive device (Speechvive.com) which goes over the ear. Would work well if he hadn't started to speak in a whisper. Last year this would have worked well but the company was dealing with product coding issues with Medicare and Medicaid here in the US.
I keep at him to do the exercises. Honestly, this is the one thing I really have to be on him, meaning NAG. I'm going to get a STAR for being good at NAGGING. Honey, do you breather. Then drink some water, take a deep breathe, put on your ear piece and practice. Ten minutes later he hasn't done this task. The device does work but he really has to do some deep concentration and I can understand this is trying for him.
Now I say, without being a nag, "Honey, I really like it when I can hear your voice. Can you practice with your breather and Speechvive? For me?" He'll do it then but truly not long enough.
So, if you find you are starting to get a soft voice - do some breathing exercises, go online and do some voice lessons - there are a lot of websites out there to chose from. Don't WAIT. Your swallowing muscles need to stay active so you can eat, speak and breathe properly.
Hi yes I am doing the speech therapy with the Parkinson’s voice project and it has helped me a lot with my swallowing. I used to have issues even swallowing small pills. Samantha does the online speech therapy five days a week every day USA time at 10:30 a.m in the morning . I don’t know if you have tried it ??
I am just.starting that. I have MSA which is an atypical Parkinsons. I have done speech
Therapy before to no avail so I'll be curious to see if this works.
I am
yes. I had good results with the voice therapist.
Could somebody tell me how to reach this exercise with Samantha? Is there a link? I hadn't heard of this before now. My husband has trouble speaking.
parkinsonvoiceproject.org/S.... This is the link .
My husband has decreased lung capacity, so we'll have to see if Samantha+ can help him or not. He says he can hardly sneeze properly for example. But thank you all for this help and I'll read up on it. Violet
parkinsonvoiceproject.org/S.... This is the link,
Thank you Springbreak. ❤️
You are welcome. I hope it helps.
Yes, I have some the following problems with my voice:
1) My voice level is too low, most of the times.
2) Some times, I have been trying to talk clearier, but I don’t what’s happening to me, because I just have traited, but it has been impossible for me, do it better.
3) Some times, when I have to say something in front of an audience, suddenly the words disappear from my head, and I just end up saying something impossible to understand. That let me frustrated and embarrassed.
C.V.
I use YouTube speech exercises for Parkinson's.
as long as you are ok
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