5 Facts to Know About Speech Pathology and Stroke Recovery

1. Speech therapy is an integral part of stroke recovery

While many things can be affected due to a stroke, most often some area of language skills, speech ability, or swallowing is affected. In many cases, a speech pathologist is on hand to evaluate a stroke patient within a day of their hospital admission. Common sense dictates the importance of identifying areas of damage and creating a plan for improvement as quickly as possible.

2. Speech therapy can help with impaired swallowing

Speech pathology is most often associated with helping a stroke victim regain the ability to communicate, but there are other purposes. In many cases, a person also loses the ability to properly control the act of swallowing. This can be embarrassing, but more importantly, it can be dangerous. Choking becomes a huge hazard. A therapist can help regain muscle control to improve ability.

3. Stimulation of the brain promotes growth

Many doctors believe that it is important to begin speech therapy as soon after stroke as possible. It is a widely held belief that exercising the brain and working muscles and providing stimulation to the body helps it repair and grow faster. While some strokes are severe and might have irrevocable damage, there can often be some amount of improvement gained through therapy.

4. Speech and language are not the same thing

While speech and language are not the same thing, speech therapy can help with both. Language is the ability to understand and use language. If language is impaired due to stroke, there is often a disconnect in the brain about what to say or how to organize thoughts into words. Speech involves the mechanical ability to produce sounds and words while talking. It is possible to have issues with speech, but not language, and vice versa.

5. A variety of therapy tools are used

Sometimes, a speech pathologist will prefer a one-on-one setting, and sometimes it is beneficial to perform speech therapy in a group. In many cases, the therapy is provided at a rehab center, with a number of tools and equipment options. Other times it is done in the patient’s home. It can also be helpful to have therapy sessions at normal places of daily activity, like a restaurant or store. This provides a real-world use of the skills being gained.

Remember to check with your doctor before taking any treatment or medical remedy.

If you would like to learn more about speech therapy in Seguin, Texas, visit Guadalupe Regional Medical Center.