Parkinson's and Speech/Swallowing Problems

My husband kept getting aspiration pneumonia from the swallowing issues. The docs at Mayo injected Botox into his espahagus about 8 months ago and we have had no problems since then.

Hi @tntredhead thanks for sharing something that worked for your husband. I'm glad to hear that his aspiration pneumonia is not an issue. Do the Botox injections have to be repeated on a regular basis?

What about your speech and swallowing problems @chrisj2491 @johnjames @trouble4343 @ggopher @aperob @caryp43 @burgle and @macbeth. Any other problems you may have had or things that have helped you? I have used an EMST150. It has to be ordered online and when I ordered mine it was about $50, it is not covered by insurance, but it certainly helped me. It is an instrument that increases the strength of the expiratory muscles. It helped with both my speech volume as well as the swallowing issues. If I go for a while without using it I notice a difference.

We were told they might need to be repeated in the future if I noticed he was having a problem.  So far, so good.The Redhead

Hi All:

I recently saw this article dealing with speech problems and the healing role that singing can play in recovering speech. While this article is directed towards those who have lost their voice because of a stroke, there is also a benefit of singing for Parkinson's patients. Has anyone had any experience with singing to improve speech?

@chrisj2491 @denie57 @johnjames @trouble4343 @ggopher @aperob @caryp43 @burgle @macbeth @knightkris @mariemarie @pjsammy @techi @sandycerem @bobbieingeorgia @gulfer @mojo1965 @brittalisse @ruby7dnj

Teresa

And I thought I was the first person to discover this. Yes, it is true. Many years ago I sang in choirs, barbershop quartet and the like.  It occurred to me recently that using different pathways might get my voice working again and it does help. I find that

I just can’t talk some days, but if I sing awhile first, especially at volume, it seems to loosen something and helps regular speech awhile. It also improves enunciation and slows me down.

Steve  

@ggopher Hello and thanks for your reply regarding the benefits of singing if you have PD.

Here is a link to a website about Joyful Noise Chorus. It is a choral group especially for those with neurological disabilities, http://joyfulnoisechorus.org/.

I think you will all enjoy their work.

Teresa

sounds like a great idea.  I hope to try this with my husband when he comes out of the hospital.

Hello @sandycerem

I'm sorry to hear that your husband is in the hospital. Is he being treated for the swelling in the legs that you mentioned in an earlier post?

I hope he is doing better now.

Teresa

Singing, especially in a chorus, is life enhancing for all. But there's some visual discord in this Joyful Noise Youtube. The chorus members with neurological disabilities are inappropriately singled out, I think, by their bright green tee-shirts. A standard white-shirt chorus look would have enhanced the harmony of the event without magnifying the neurological side of some of the singers identities.