Dysarthria Treatment Exercises

What is dysarthria?

Dysarthria is a motor-speech disorder resulting from neurological injury of the motor component of the motor-speech system. It is characterized by poor articulation of phonemes (speech sounds), affecting the patient's ability to speak clearly and be understood by others.

Dysarthria arises from a range of conditions that impair the nervous system's ability to coordinate the muscles used in speech. This includes stroke, which disrupts blood flow to crucial areas of the brain responsible for speech control; traumatic brain injury, which can cause physical damage to parts of the brain involved in speech production; and cerebral palsy, a group of disorders affecting movement and muscle tone, including those necessary for speech.

Brain tumors also contribute to dysarthria by exerting pressure on areas of the brain responsible for speech functions. Additionally, neurological conditions such as multiple sclerosis, which leads to the deterioration of nerve coverings, impair the transmission of signals needed for smooth, coordinated muscle movements in speech. These conditions impact the brain's ability to manage the complex speech production process, resulting in various speech-language pathology disorders, such as fluency disorders and communication disorders.

Dysarthria Treatment Exercises

Dysarthria exercises are designed to improve muscle strength, coordination, and speech clarity. Here, we present several effective exercises tailored to address the challenges individuals with dysarthria face and reduce their reliance on compensatory strategies. Consistency in practice is key to seeing progress.

Tongue strengthening exercises

The tongue is one of the primary speech muscles involved in creating at least 15 distinct phonemes in English. Strengthening weak muscles through tongue exercises is crucial for improving articulation. Patients are encouraged to do tongue exercises like "mewing," where they forcefully push their tongue against the roof of their mouth, a spoon, or a popsicle stick and then hold that position for a few seconds. While it has become very popular recently as a meme and has questionable efficacy on aesthetics, it is a great exercise in that it can be practiced almost anywhere.

Lip mobility exercises

Improving lip mobility helps the speech muscles form better speech sounds. One exercise that targets the lip muscles includes stretching the lips in a wide smile and holding it for a few seconds. You may also pucker them, open them wide, and move them from side to side.

Breath support exercises

Strong breath support is essential for clear speech; a person cannot speak well if they lose their breath on the first few words, so it is vital to improve breath control. Deep breathing exercises, like holding breath for a few seconds or making slow, controlled exhales, help improve the respiratory muscles and enhance the flow of speech.

Articulation practice

Patients practice articulating single words clearly using word lists, gradually moving to short and longer sentences to improve overall speech clarity. This is one of the best exercises because patients need to practice what they need to improve.

Voice modulation exercises

These exercises help patients control the pitch and volume of their voice. These involve techniques like humming at different pitches and practicing speaking at varying volumes.

Non-speech oral motor exercises

Non-speech exercises are a classification of exercises that do not involve speaking but help strengthen speech muscles. These include exercises such as blowing bubbles, sucking through straws, and chewing exercises. Some of these exercises fall under multiple categories because of the muscles they target; for example, blowing bubbles is a great breath support exercise that is also a non-speech exercise.

Pacing board use

A pacing board is a visual and tactile cueing device that helps patients control their speech rate, making it easier for listeners to understand.

For more concrete examples of each type of exercise, please refer to our template.

How to use the template?

This template is designed as a comprehensive guide for therapists and as a handout for caregivers. It lists dysarthria therapy activities that can be tailored to each patient's unique needs and progress. Here's a more streamlined way to use it, starting with downloading the template:

Step 1: Access the template

Click "Use template" to open the template in the Carepatron app, where you can customize it before filling it out and printing it. This document serves as your foundation, offering exercises to improve speech clarity, breath control, oral motor skills, and overall communication abilities. You can also get a fillable but non-customizable PDF by clicking "Download."

Step 2: Assess patient needs

Conduct a thorough initial evaluation of the patient's speech and communication capabilities. This assessment helps identify specific areas that require improvement. Based on this evaluation, establish clear, measurable objectives for the therapy sessions. These goals should align with the patient's needs, such as enhancing articulation or increasing breath support.

Step 3: Customize the exercise plan

From the array of exercises provided in the template, select the exercises that best address the patient's identified weaknesses. The intensity and complexity of these exercises should be adjusted to match the patient's current abilities, ensuring a gradual increase in difficulty as their skills improve. To keep the patient engaged, consider incorporating elements of their interests into the exercises, such as using word lists related to their hobbies.

Step 4: Implement the exercises

Organize therapy sessions to include a structured sequence of exercises, starting with a warm-up phase, moving on to the main exercise set, and concluding with a cool-down period. Monitor the patient's performance throughout the session and adjust the exercises to maximize effectiveness. You may also provide the patient and/or their caregiver/s a copy so that they can do the exercises at home.

Step 5: Evaluate progress and adjust

Regularly re-evaluate the patient's speech and communication skills to monitor progress toward the therapy goals. Adjust the exercise plan based on these assessments and the feedback received from the patient and their caregivers. This step is crucial for ensuring the therapy remains effective and responsive to the patient's evolving needs.

How to treat dysarthria?

Treating motor speech disorders like dysarthria involves speech therapy with a licensed speech-language pathologist. The therapy focuses on exercises to improve the strength, mobility, and coordination of the mouth, tongue, and throat muscles, improving speech clarity and intelligibility.

What happens during a therapy session?

A therapy session for dysarthria is a collaborative and dynamic process led by a licensed speech-language pathologist. At the heart of these sessions is a focus on customized exercises meticulously designed to fortify the strength, agility, and coordination of the muscles involved in speech—namely those of the mouth, tongue, and throat. The ultimate aim is to sharpen speech clarity and ensure words are more intelligible and fluent to listeners.

Each session is tailored to the individual's specific challenges and progress, with activities ranging from targeted muscle exercises to practical speaking drills. The speech language therapist employs various strategies to engage and motivate, ensuring that each step taken is geared towards making meaningful improvements in speech. Through professional guidance, supportive feedback, and adaptive exercises, patients gradually find their voices becoming clearer, allowing for more effective communication in their daily lives.

Treatment goals

The cornerstone objectives of dysarthria treatment revolve around three pivotal areas: Firstly, to significantly boost speech intelligibility, ensuring that individuals can be understood more clearly by others. Secondly, to refine and augment oral motor skills, thereby improving the control and coordination of muscles essential for speech. Lastly, an equally important goal is to bolster the patient's confidence in their communication abilities, empowering them to engage more fully in social interactions and daily activities without hesitation.