Speech therapy massage for stuttering in children and adults

general information

The main purpose of massage for stuttering is a mechanical effect on the condition of muscles, nerves, and blood vessels. Conducted by a speech therapist, probes are used if necessary.

Logomassage is part of complex therapy. In other words, it cannot be a panacea, but it can improve the child’s condition.

Children begin to stutter for various reasons. Scientists believe that it’s all about a combination of genetic and neurological factors. A predisposing factor is muscle hypertonicity. In adults, the disease appears after concussion, head injury, or stroke.

Massage can be used both in a special institution and at home. But before using it, doctors check the patient. The procedure has contraindications. The exposure is carried out in courses with a short break between them.

Massage helps to relax the muscles - vocal, articulatory, regulating the breathing process. The child’s mental state normalizes. Metabolism increases and blood circulation improves. Against this background, there is a decrease in the manifestations of stuttering.

Why do you need speech therapy massage?

Speech therapy massage is a special technique for influencing areas of the body that are in one way or another connected with speech activity.

This procedure changes the state of muscle tissue, nerve fibers, blood vessels, and skin, thus solving the problems for which, in fact, it is carried out.

The benefits of logomassage

Thanks to speech therapy massage, a number of changes occur in the body:

normalization of hypo- or hypertonicity of muscles in facial and articulatory muscles;
reduction of pathological involuntary muscle movements;
activation and increase in the strength of contractility of the muscles of the speech apparatus;
improving the quality of articulation, including clarity, volume, speed;
perception of movements of speech-producing organs.

And what's the result? As a result, massage of the speech areas of the face brings the following benefits:

has a beneficial effect on the nervous system and the general condition of the body;
stimulates lymph and blood circulation, regulates tissue metabolic processes, promotes blood saturation with oxygen and improves cellular nutrition;
increases the elasticity of muscles and the strength of their contractions, helps them recover after exercise, improves performance;
reduces tone during spasms and raises it when the organs of articulation are weak, engages inactive muscle areas;
forms coordination of movements of the speech organs, stimulates their perception;
increases volume and range of motion;
strengthens muscles and prepares the articulatory apparatus for producing sounds as quickly as possible.

Indications and contraindications

It is thanks to this spectrum of action that this method is actively used for dysarthria, dyslalia, alalia, aphasia, rhinolalia, stuttering, voice defects, delayed speech development, as well as in all cases where the muscle tone of the speech apparatus is impaired.

There are also contraindications. These are common infectious diseases, diseases of the skin, mucous membrane of the eyes, oral cavity, enlarged lymph nodes, as well as a negative emotional reaction of the child to the procedure.

Now let's touch on the technical side of this method.

Types of massage

The classification and sets of exercises were developed by Dyakova. She identified the following types of massage:

point;
probe;
segmental.

Each requires the use of certain techniques. They affect the area of the neck, shoulders, and head. The specialist must have a good understanding of human anatomy and physiology and know the location of the cranial nerves.

For stuttering, acupressure and segmental massage are most often used. Sometimes a combination of them is effective.

For probe massage, special instruments are used - probes. They allow you to relieve hypertension or activate muscles.

The method of influence should not be perceived as a panacea. This is only additional help in case of a defect, but if you use only it alone, there will be no result.

Indications and contraindications

Speech therapy massage for stuttering is prescribed for any problems with muscle tone. During convulsions, they may become excessively compressed, tense, and it will be difficult for the child to return them to normal.

Relaxation plays an important role in the correction of stuttering. It is not easy to teach a patient to relax. Massage has this effect. If it is manual, it brings additional pleasant sensations.

Before the course, the speech therapist conducts diagnostics. He looks at the condition of articulatory and facial muscles. Checks the condition of the neck and shoulders. Draws attention to:

asymmetry;
skin rashes;
skin color;
hemorrhages.

After which palpation is carried out, that is, palpation. The speech therapist touches areas of the body with his fingers - this allows you to better feel the condition of the muscles. A similar examination is carried out in adults.

An absolute contraindication is epilepsy. Additional exposure may trigger seizures. Temporary relief is somatic diseases, injuries, inflammations.

What is stuttering

Logoneurosis, or stuttering, is a speech defect associated with a violation of the smoothness and rhythm of articulation, repeated repetition of syllables and sounds at the time of speaking. If the disease is not treated, the child may develop a complex and logophobia, that is, a fear of verbal communication.

According to speech therapists, kinesiologists, neurologists and psychiatrists, the causes of stuttering are pathologies of the central nervous system, features of the formation of speech skills, heredity and stress.

Children with logoneurosis experience the following symptoms of pathology:

Increased irritability, excitability
Shyness in speech
Muscle spasms of the articulatory apparatus
Disturbances in breathing rhythm
Low pitch and strength of voice
Slow accumulation of active vocabulary
ZRR, ONR
Tiki
Labile emotional background

According to statistics, children who stutter are more likely to suffer from colds and lag behind their peers in mental and physical development. Speech disorders of this type need to be treated as early as possible. Therapy is not concentrated in one direction: according to indications, the help of a neurologist, psychologist, pediatrician, or psychiatrist is required. Medication and conservative treatment methods are used. One of the most effective procedures is acupressure. Correction of articulatory skills continues for a long time (from 6 months to 2-3 years), but helps to cope with even advanced cases of stuttering.

Requirements for conducting

Before starting to relax the patient, the specialist must prepare the room. The office is washed, ventilated, and made cozy. The child should not create associations with the medical institution, as this will cause a negative reaction.

On average, procedures are carried out every other day. The usual course duration is 20 procedures. After which they take a break for a month, and the cycle is repeated again.

In childhood, they begin with short sessions of five minutes, gradually increasing the duration to half an hour. In adults, the same scheme is used. The child should not experience pain. Some effects may be unpleasant, but not cause acute discomfort.

It is advisable for the speech therapist to wear a sterile mask. The specialist’s hands should be clean, warm, with short-cut nails. Before starting, lightly lubricate the skin with oil or powder.

The optimal position is for a stuttering child to lie with his back on a flat couch. This position is convenient for the speech therapist and frees breathing. In some cases, a half-sitting position in a chair is allowed, with the child’s head thrown back on the headrest.

Sometimes it is convenient for a specialist to stand not behind the patient’s head, but on the right side of him. In this position it is easier for him to secure the child.

The main causes of logoneurosis

Stuttering is a disorder of fluency of speech. During illness, the main thing is that the child does not develop logophobia (fear of expressing his opinion), since it will increase the severity of the disease and complicate treatment. Hereditary predisposition also influences the development of logoneurosis. Experts diagnose speech defects three times more often in boys than in girls.

Causes of stuttering:

acute or chronic stress;
genetic predisposition;
damage to the central nervous system;
complications after endocrine and infectious diseases;
predisposition to epiactivity;
early development or delayed psychomotor development;
imitating a stuttering child (due to such “games” healthy children can develop a permanent speech defect);
the child being in constant fear, misunderstanding on the part of the parents, lack of love and affection.

Doctors have found that choleric people are more prone to stuttering than phlegmatic people. The disease in children is often provoked by their parents: due to strict upbringing and increased demands on the baby, logoneurosis can develop

Doctors treating speech neurosis

Therapy for speech neurosis in childhood should be carried out with four specialists at once: a speech therapist, a psychologist, a psychotherapist and a pediatrician.

The pediatrician treats concomitant pathological processes, pays attention to strengthening the immune system, preventive measures, and advises parents if their children complain about their health. Physiotherapeutic manipulations (electric sleep and massage) are effective for the disease. Doctors often recommend effective logomassage for stuttering, breathing exercises, and psychological training.

The psychologist seeks an approach to the child and learns about his fears. Only a doctor can examine the patient's mental health and find out the causes of stuttering. At an early age, consultations with a psychologist are carried out under the supervision of parents.

The speech therapist asks the child to undergo a series of tests and do several test exercises. Classes with this specialist will allow you to reduce the number of cramps in the laryngeal and articulatory muscles in a short period of time.

An appointment with a psychotherapist is needed so that the child can get rid of fear and discomfort while communicating with his peers (due to stuttering, the child often develops complexes). Consultations with a doctor will help you get rid of complexes and feelings of inferiority.

Basic Techniques

Each session begins with stroking. It is alternated with other techniques, but it is always completed with this technique. It can be superficial - the brush lightly touches the skin, gently and affectionately, with a deep grasping movement it affects the skin receptors and the nervous system. The palm is pressed firmly against the area and glides along the anatomical contours.

Stroking the “rake” - the fingers are spread wide, the pads actively massage the area of pressure. Performed in a circle, zigzag, wavy.

Rubbing involves applying strong pressure to a small area of muscle. It is performed both with the fingertips and the entire palm. The degree of impact is determined individually. Directions are spiral and straight.

Kneading - the fabric is gently rubbed, squeezed, compressed. Used in a small area. Perform with fingertips; in rare cases, pinching is allowed.

Vibration is created by lightly tapping your fingers on the surface of the muscles. Used in areas with minimal fat and where cranial nerves exit. Firm pressure allows you to target biologically active points (BAP).

The help from speech therapy massage will only be felt if the sessions are regular and the specialist is highly qualified. The choice of techniques depends on muscle tone and pathological features.

Is massage really beneficial for stuttering?

Massage for stuttering is a speech therapy massage that is designed to eliminate neurological disorders. As you know, there is a strong connection between the nerve endings on the skin and various centers of the brain. By influencing the skin and muscles, we indirectly influence our “flight control center”, i.e. on the brain.

And if with the help of massage you can normalize blood pressure and relieve stress, then why can’t various physical therapy techniques improve the functioning of our speech apparatus?

Speech therapists successfully use various techniques to treat stuttering in children aged 2 to 6 years. Two main techniques of speech therapy massage are used:

segmental;
spot.

In parallel with massage, various types of conservative treatment are used: physiotherapy (gymnastics, exercises), special articulation exercises. To reduce the excitability of the child’s nervous system, safe sedatives are prescribed that reduce tension and help relax.

After all, it is known that children who stutter have various psychological problems - shyness, wild imagination, complexes and other similar conditions. A comfortable emotional atmosphere in the house is important for him; the baby should not witness quarrels between parents.

Segmental massage

Relaxing massage of the orbicularis oculi and lip muscles

Its goal is to target one specific area of muscle. Requirements for conducting are standard. The speech therapist's hands should not have abrasions, scratches, or wounds. All rings, bracelets, watches are removed. Fingers are lubricated with baby cream. Areas of influence are determined after diagnosis.

Before starting the session, it is useful to take a moment of relaxation. The patient is encouraged to relax and is asked to imagine being in a comfortable place. Once he has calmed down and is breathing evenly, you can begin to act.

The optimal position is lying on your back. All types of stroking are used, starting with a gentle effect. Palms gently touch the face, neck, shoulders. They move gently from bottom to top. Gradually the impact becomes stronger, the pressure increases slightly.

Rubbing is intended to stimulate blood circulation. Therefore, the speech therapist identifies problem areas (pale skin) and begins to actively rub them. It is better to do this in circular movements, as they are more comfortable.

The degree of vibration depends on the condition of the muscles. With hypotonicity, it should be strong, sensitive, palpable. With hypertonicity, on the contrary, it is barely noticeable.

The effect of logomassage will only be achieved if a set of techniques is implemented. Separately they are useless.

Finish with gentle stroking. Then the patient is allowed to lie down for a few minutes.

Logoneurosis (Stuttering) - All about massage..

Logoneurosis is a type of speech disorder that manifests itself in the form of hesitations in speech and stuttering.

A child’s speech with this disorder is slow and is often characterized by frequent long pauses, prolonged pronunciation or repetition of sounds, syllables and words.

In addition to speech disorders, logoneurosis also manifests itself in accompanying facial movements: trembling of the jaw and lips, rapid blinking, tension of all facial muscles when trying to pronounce a word or syllable.

Etiological factor.
Logoneurosis or speech neurosis can develop as a reaction to a strong stress factor or be a consequence of organic brain damage.
The more common causes of logoneurosis are:

Brain injuries, infectious diseases in which the infectious agent is tropic to the nervous tissue, cerebral palsy, tumor neoplasms, disorders of brain trophism, strokes.
Mental illnesses and psychopathy: schizophrenia, neurasthenia, schizoaffective disorder.
Hereditary predisposition. It has been observed that children and adolescents develop this condition more often than adults. At the same time, separate reasons are identified for each age. Thus, in young children who are just learning to speak, logoneurosis may be a normal stage in the formation of the speech apparatus. But in adolescents, the cause of neurotic stuttering is mental instability, increased emotional excitability, a tendency to dramatize and excessive impressionability.
Speech impairment manifests itself as a response to family troubles and frequent conflicts. When the situation in the house is tense, then constant conflicts take place, then a child, and especially a teenager, can react to this with speech problems.

Consequences of stuttering

In cases where logoneurosis does not disappear and intensifies, there is a possibility that it can lead to severe stuttering and psychological consequences for life.

Children experience this illness especially hard during adolescence, when the teenager, in order to avoid ridicule from surrounding peers, begins to avoid communication and cases when it is necessary to present information orally.

In the case of a severe stage of logoneurosis, the child will be afraid to pronounce words and sounds, will begin to refuse to speak and speak in public, and a state of inferiority may begin to form in him.

Hesitations in speech will become more obvious when speaking in front of an audience, when talking with strangers, before an important interview, and in other situations that cause psychological pressure.

And as a result, the stress that a person suffering from logoneurosis experiences will lead to an even greater deterioration in the state of speech, and as a consequence to personality changes - silence, isolation, and depression appear.

Causes of stuttering

Stuttering most often develops in preschool children.

An important role is played by the fact that the final formation of the cerebral hemispheres is completed by about five years - in a child, excitation reactions are more pronounced than inhibition processes.

These same reactions easily turn into motor activity, including the muscles of the speech apparatus. Articulatory muscles (tongue, lips, soft palate, larynx) are underdeveloped and do not work very clearly.

Children quite often, perceiving various sounds and words by ear, but not understanding their meaning, can simply mix them together.

When there is a person who stutters in the family or in a child’s immediate circle, children can simply adopt this manner of speaking.

Acupressure

The difficulty of carrying it out is that it is necessary to correctly determine the localization of BAP (active points). With increased tone, a relaxing effect is used. It is aimed at reducing tension. The location of the BAP is best studied using an illustration or under the supervision of experienced specialists.

Massage of biologically active points

It’s simple: the finger rotates clockwise over the pressed area for 6 seconds. Gradually it seems to deepen, increase the force, then it is fixed for 2 seconds and the action is weakened in 5 seconds.

The pressure decreases counterclockwise. Without lifting your finger, this cycle is repeated 3-4 times. It takes about 1 minute to complete one point.

When tone is reduced, another technique is used - stimulating. The finger presses on the point clockwise for 6 seconds, and then the pad suddenly comes off. The movement is repeated up to 10 times.

In the first session, a maximum of 4 points are affected. Gradually the quantity is increased. In one procedure, general and local points are affected. Symmetrical points are massaged simultaneously.

It is advisable to combine acupressure massage with classical massage. It is better to conduct it before a session with a speech therapist. This way the child will be relaxed and the exercises will be easier for him.

How to do acupressure in children who stutter

During acupressure for stuttering, the doctor presses with the pads of his fingers on certain parts of the body (performed in a circular motion). During the manipulation, points located on the back, legs and face are activated. Doctors call acupressure soothing because of the smoothness of the pressure.

The masseur performs a massage with three fingers: thumb, middle and index. After pressing, rotational movements are made for half a minute (the pressure gradually increases).

When massaging near the mouth, you should ask the child to open it slightly. When treating the larynx, the baby will need to pronounce vowel sounds. The main goal of acupressure is maximum relaxation. It is not recommended to eat or drink before the procedure.

Bioactive pressure points for acupressure for stuttering

When exposed to bioactive points during logoneurosis, the child’s psycho-emotional health is normalized, the muscles that are responsible for the respiratory, vocal and articulatory apparatus relax.

Nei Guan points are located in the wrist area.

The Tian Jing points are located in the elbow area.

"He-liao", "Ying-xiang" and "Show-go" are on the face.

The points “Tzu-san-li” and “Du-bi” are concentrated near the knees.

On the back there are points “Fei Shu”, “Hsin Shu”, “Tian Liao”, “Fen Men” and others.

Self-massage

A specialist can teach children self-massage skills. This doesn't require much effort. Preschoolers are taught in front of a mirror, shown an example of an action and asked to repeat:

The first exercise is to gently stroke your cheeks with your palms, working from your nose to your ears. You can stroke the head, going lower from the hair.
The second exercise is to run your fingers with pressure from the middle of the forehead to the temples, as if drawing paths. You can draw a “Christmas tree”.
The third exercise is tapping the forehead and cheeks with pads. There may be more exercises. The complex is compiled by a speech therapist based on the individual characteristics of the child.

Krupenchuk has her own method. She improved the Dyakova complex. Regular spoons are used for massage - this is perceived more positively by the child.

The process can be combined with games. In this case, it will be more interesting for children to complete the tasks of the speech therapist. As an incentive, you can give a sticker or the opportunity to choose a game.

Spot impact

Acupressure gives really good results. The main advantage of this type of treatment is its ease of implementation. Parents will be able to do acupressure massage on their own under normal conditions at home after a short internship with a professional or watching a special video that describes in detail the technique, sequence of actions and contact points are indicated.

A serious attitude towards long-term treatment, patience and understanding on the part of adults are necessary conditions for the recovery of a small patient. The degree of speech impairment in children, the form of stuttering, may differ, and accordingly, the effect of influencing acupuncture points is also different.

The essence of acupressure is as follows:

Pressure is performed using the fingertips in a circular motion;
17 points are activated, which are located on the back and face;
One course consists of 15 procedures;
The first sessions are held daily, then every other day;
You will need to undergo a massage course four times in a year.

Parents need to know that if there is an improvement after the first course, this does not mean that the treatment is finished. The specified amount must be observed to consolidate the result. And in the case when the long-awaited improvement is not observed, you should be persistent and not fall into despair. There are cases when stuttering intensifies between courses, then there is no need to take a temporary pause, but after completing one course, immediately begin the next one.