Speech Therapy After A Stroke

A loved one having a stroke can be a scary experience.

In the moment, they might feel confusion, loss of coordination, numbness in their limbs, and severe headache.

And because every stroke is different, you might not be sure how they’ll come out the other side of it.

The aftermath of a stroke can lead to a number of long term side effects.

One of these effects is difficulty communicating.

But the good news is speech therapy to recover from a stroke has come a long way.

It can be frightening to know you or a loved one has had a stroke.

Fortunately, there are plenty of services that can help with recovery.

At The Voz Institute, we offer many different therapy services aimed at stroke recovery.

For instance, a speech therapist can help your loved one recover from any lasting speech and communication challenges.

In this article, we’re going to look at the role of a speech therapist in stroke recovery and the adult speech therapy treatments we might use.

Let’s take a look.

What Happens When You Have A Stroke?

Your heart is the central force which moves oxygen, blood, and other important nutrients throughout your entire body.

It pumps these substances through your arteries.

This sends your blood to the parts of your body that need it.

There are two sets of arteries that supply blood to your brain.

They’re called your carotid arteries and your vertebral arteries.

Any type of blockage in these arteries prevents blood flow from reaching your organs, including your brain.

This can occur for multiple reasons.

For instance, a burst artery can prevent efficient blood flow.

In other cases, you might experience a blood clot blockage in your arteries.

This causes an ischemic stroke.

According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, ischemic strokes are the most common type and account for approximately 87% of all stroke incidents.

In contrast, a hemorrhagic stroke occurs due to bleeding in the brain.

Both ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes prevent adequate blood flow and subsequently results in lack of oxygen to your brain.

This causes brain cells to die and can result in varying degrees of brain damage.

There is also something called a transient ischemic attack (TIA), or a “mini stroke”.

During a TIA, there is a temporary clot blocking blood flow to the brain.

These don’t usually cause permanent brain damage.

However, TIAs are still a serious condition that can often be a precursor to a full stroke.

Therefore, all types of strokes are medical emergencies that require immediate action.

RELATED ARTICLE: Speech Therapy For Traumatic Brain Injury Recovery

Stroke Warning Signs

If someone is having a stroke, it’s important to act fast.

The longer it takes to get treatment, the worse stroke effects tend to be.

Let’s review some of the key warning signs of stroke:

• Numbness or weakness on one side of the body, specifically in the arms, legs, or face
• Vision changes from one or both eyes
• Loss of balance and coordination, which can present as trouble walking
• Confusion, trouble understanding others
• Having trouble speaking
• Sudden onset severe headache with no apparent cause
• Dizziness

These symptoms usually happen very suddenly.

How Can Speech Therapy Help Your Loved One Recover From A Stroke?

Strokes can affect different parts of your brain.

If a stroke affects the part of the brain responsible for speech, it can cause various types of speech challenges, including fluency disorders, speech sound disorders, and others.

This doesn’t always happen.

But it’s estimated that in about 40% of cases, a stroke will affect speech and language skills.

If this happens to your loved one, a speech therapist can help.

According to a 2019 article by Gerstenecker and Lazar, speech therapy can help stroke patients significantly improve their functional communication skills.

During your first appointment, your speech therapist will conduct a thorough evaluation of your loved one to determine the specific areas of speech and language affected.

From there, they will put together an individualized plan that focuses on your loved one’s unique strengths and needs.

Let’s have a look at some of the ways a speech therapist can help with stroke recovery.

1. Matching Words And Pictures

Many people who’ve experienced a stroke find that they have trouble finding the right words to express themselves.

To help recall words, your speech therapist may have your loved one look at pictures of things and then practice the corresponding words.

This exercise can be useful for linking words and images in their brain.

It can also help improve their pronunciation.

2. Tongue Exercises

A common side effect of a stroke is muscle weakness.

This can include tongue weakness, which is of course important for forming speech.

Your speech therapist may use exercises and stretches to strengthen one’s tongue muscle.

This makes it easier to form words.

Some exercises your speech therapist might recommend include touching their tongue to specific areas in their mouth and simply sticking their tongue in and out of their mouth.

RELATED ARTICLE: Understanding Your Tongue’s Role In Speech

3. Breathing Exercises

One effect your loved one may experience while in recovery from a stroke experience is difficulty breathing while speaking.

As a result, you may find them taking more breaths as they speak.

This can make it harder for others to understand them, as well as make speaking for long periods difficult.

A speech therapist can help them practice regulating breathing and planning out when to pause and take breaths as they speak.

4. Practicing Words And Sounds

People recovering from stroke will often find it difficult to make the sounds required to form words.

When this occurs, we typically diagnose it as an articulation disorder, which is a type of speech sound disorder.

In this case, your speech therapist will work with your loved one to make words and sounds that are similar to those affected.

Practicing words will help exercise their tongue and mouth, and can help improve the strength and clarity of sounds.

RELATED ARTICLE: What Causes Articulation Disorders?

5. Practicing Full Sentences

In addition to practicing individual words, your loved one may also need to practice stringing words together into sentences.

As they practice sounds and words, they can also work on the act of constructing sentences.

Additionally, if your loved one’s stroke has not also affected their ability to read, they can practice reading more complex sentences out loud.

6. Parental & Caregiver Coaching

Finally, your loved one will need additional support outside of their speech therapy sessions as well.

That’s where parent and caregiver coaching comes into play.

We’ll give you the tools and skills you need to help your loved one through this process.

Book Your Appointment With The Voz Institute Today

Recovering from a stroke can be an overwhelming journey, both for your loved one and for your family.

Fortunately, targeted speech therapy can play a powerful role in rebuilding communication skills, confidence, and independence after a stroke.

With the right strategies, support, and consistent practice, many stroke survivors make significant improvements in how they speak, understand, and connect with others.

Early intervention and a personalized treatment plan can make all the difference in long-term outcomes.

At The Voz Institute, our team of therapists is dedicated to guiding your loved one through each step of their recovery with compassion and clinical expertise.

Book your appointment with The Voz Institute today and help your loved one regain their voice and confidence.