Speech therapy?

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#1 Post by **misskristen** » Fri Mar 02, 2007 9:57 am

Hi folks,

I'm a month post op (double jaw surgery). Am thinking about getting speech therapy. Do you think it'd be helpful? If you did it, was it helpful to you? How did you find your speech therapist? Any recommendations for someone in the Bay Area?

Thank You,
Kristen
http://bracemyself.blogspot.com/
(my blog documenting the entire braces/surgery/recovery experience)

#2 Post by **Delag** » Sat Mar 03, 2007 7:47 am

When I was in university I lived with a girl who was getting her degree in speech therapy - I was constantly amazed by how complex it was. She was always asking us to say words and describe the exact position of our tongue etc. I had never noticed how many little details go into each sound we make. I can only make a guess, but if you are having any problems I believe a world of good could come from having a consultation or two. They would probaby give you excercises.... like having to say words with a cheerio held on part of your tongue etc.

#3 Post by **nvcarissa** » Sat Mar 03, 2007 11:17 am

Just curious, why do you think you need speech therapy?

#4 Post by **jeni** » Sat Mar 03, 2007 1:48 pm

[quote="nvcarissa"]Just curious, why do you think you need speech therapy?[/quote]

Check out her blog.

#5 Post by **jeni** » Sat Mar 03, 2007 1:49 pm

sorry! double post. It told me that the message failed both times!

#6 Post by **katmpet** » Sat Mar 03, 2007 8:20 pm

I don't know about speech therapy-I asked about it right about where you are right now and my OS told me to wait. Now at 3 months post op I am being referred for physio-my OS told me that the physio would take care of my speech issues. I go on March 14-I'll let you know

#7 Post by **hoca** » Sat Mar 03, 2007 8:33 pm

Physio? What sort of issues can physio help with? Does it help with range of motion? I didn't realize you could get physio for jaw surgery.

If you could post with some information on how it works out, that would be great, because it might be something a few of us would be interested in.

#8 Post by **katmpet** » Sun Mar 04, 2007 9:35 am

Will do

My appt is March 14. According to my OS the physio will help with range of movement and speech issues that I am having..I never knew there was such a thing either-it is apparently quite specialized. One more thing on the learning curve of this journey!

#9 Post by **nvcarissa** » Sun Mar 04, 2007 11:14 pm

Okay, I checked out the blog, and I'm not seeing anything there about speech difficulties in the last few entries, so, again, I am asking why do you think you might need speech therapy? Have you discussed this with your OS? Is your speech defective since the surgery?

#10 Post by **katmpet** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 6:44 am

I have speech issues since the surgery. It is because of the repositioning of the jaw-it only makes sense. When one is use to talking using your mouth a certain way for 30 years or whatever and then it changes-it is about teaching your mouth to form the words again. Speech involves every part of your mouth-teeth, tongue, nasal cavities etc. When you have jaw surgery of any kind it would be logical that for some people there would be issues. For me the changes structurally to my face were dramatic enough to cause speech issues. I am not the least bit concerned about it. I teach at the post secondary level and was concerned about it prior to the surgery. My OS kept assuring me after it was because of the splint-then the elastics etc. Well now I have elastics from my ortho and I still have speech issues-so the physio is for a variety of reasons. Range of motion is #1 but also about speech..for me anyways

#11 Post by **CeramicLisa** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 10:33 pm

Is physical therapy pretty common after surgery for range of motion after being clamped shut for weeks? My OS hasn't mentioned that it will be needed, but I imagine the muscles need to get some practice in working again after being still for so long.

#12 Post by **katmpet** » Tue Mar 06, 2007 7:52 pm

My OS tells me that it is more common the older you are when you have the surgery

I am crowding 40 and so have not bounced back the way for example some of my 20 year old students have. He said that for patients over 35 about 20% need to see someone for physio. It must be fairly common though-where he sent me the only physio they do is ortho. I had no idea either until he mentioned it when the splint came off and I had to start stretching my mouth..

#13 Post by **misskristen** » Tue Mar 06, 2007 10:00 pm

Hey nvcarissa,

My situation is very similar to Katmpet's. Since the surgery repositioned my upper and lower jaws, it's taking some getting used to, as far as eating and talking. For instance, I never used my front teeth to cut anything fine like noodles, because I couldn't.

My curiosity re: speech therapy stems from the fact that I cannot pronouce the letter "s" without making it sound like "sh". Maybe it's because my back teeth don't meet yet (need further ortho work). I simply don't know. Also, I used to compensate with my tongue (pushing against the front teeth) whenever I had to say words like "two", or "delta", et cetera. Now theoretically I shouldn't have to. But how? I feel like I'm learning how to talk again, and this time I want to do it right.

Kristen
http://bracemyself.blogspot.com/

#14 Post by **katmpet** » Wed Mar 14, 2007 1:20 pm

Well I had my physio appt

She was very knowledgeable and in fact my appt was right after a lower jaw only patient. Really interesting to hear his experiences vs mine. At any rate-here is my issue-my jaw(bones-joint) has no pain and in fact she tells me from manipulating it that it has quite the ROM but it is the muscles in my face and neck that are the issue. I tell you she touched the muscle that runs under the cheek bone and acts as a string to pull it up-I almost jumped off the table. She said it is very common for jaw patients to have that issue as from the surgery your jaw is "propped" open. My surgery was 7 hours so alot of propping

It is these muscles that are causing me some sleep and ROM issues now. She gave me tongue exercises for my speech as she sees it as a repositioning technique more than "speech". I have a friend who is a speech pathologist and she did some work with me but bascially agreed with the physio's opinion. I could work with a speech path or physio to correct the speech issues at this point. Physiotherapist talked about the muscles and TMJ-I have had the issues for oh 20 years and so much of what she said made so much sense. I have been to ALOT of medical doctors, naturopathic, acupuncturists the list goes on and on and I have say, this is the first time that I felt that anyone looked at the jaw issues in all its complexity and as a whole body issue. I recommend it

#15 Post by **katmpet** » Wed Mar 14, 2007 5:17 pm

It is interesting you should say that Meryaten because the therapist said it is a relatively new way of considering jaw issues. That people are realizing "splints" aka "nightgaurds" are not the answer and that the causes needed to be looked at from all angles. She was telling me about a study she recently read about people who suffer from TMJ and that in some cases it is an entire body symetrical issue(I asked her for a copy for our next visit). She said that one of her patients she actually ended up getting orthotics(yep for her shoes) and how much that helped her in conjunction with physio. Like I said I was really pleased that my OS recommended it:D Made me once again realize I picked the right OS-that he is open to other possibilities and not threatened by new or other opinions/research. I got three OS opinions for my surgery and I know I got the best one for me.

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