Millions of Americans have impaired speech. Stuttering, slurring, apraxia, aphasia, articulation and voice disorders, and other orofacial myofunctional disorders (OMDs) are common – but treatable.
To help patients with speech and myofunctional disorders overcome deficiencies and communicate more smoothly, speech-language pathologists (SLPs) devise targeted treatment plans. These plans typically include in-office language, breathing, and articulation therapy, as well as at-home exercises.
When impaired speech is caused (or exacerbated) by poor tongue, lip, or facial muscle strength, oral motor therapy is sometimes used as a complementary modality. This form of therapy can strengthen tongues, lips, and facial muscles and increase their range of motion. When employed by a skilled therapist as part of a wider treatment plan, oral motor therapy can accelerate progress.
Here’s how SLPs use oral motor therapy to rehabilitate impairments caused by a common issue: poor lip strength.
The Impact of Lip Closing Force on Speech
To produce m, p, and b sounds, both lips must touch. When a patient’s lips don’t close completely, they will struggle to pronounce words with those sounds. In more severe cases, poor lip seal can lead to drooling, which can further degrade articulation.
To help patients improve their lip-closing force, pathologists can employ a form of oral motor therapy to strengthen the lips. To do this, SLPs may have their patient puff air into their cheeks, or protrude, protract, or press their lips. Sometimes, pathologists use tools, like whistles or tongue depressors, as aids.
How Spring Scales Help SLPs Monitor Progress
For speech therapy to be effective, patients must adhere to their prescribed treatment plan. Unfortunately, when patients fail to see progress, it can be challenging to keep them engaged. And, because many speech therapy exercises only produce subjective data, SLPs sometimes struggle to prove that their patients are progressing.
To combat these challenges, pathologists should strive to collect objective data whenever possible. Spring scales, which measure a patient’s lip-closing force, provide SLPs with that data.
Gathering data with a spring scale is simple: the pathologist attaches a disposable button to the scale, places it between the patient’s lips, and gently pulls the scale to measure the patient’s lip closing force.
Spring scales can capture a baseline measurement, then be used to track progress over time. The data can be shared with patients as a motivational tool and submitted to insurance companies as evidence to justify or cover the cost of treatment.
Non-Speech Therapy Applications
Spring scales can also be used to treat myofunctional disorders, including:
- Impaired Chewing: Masticatory problems, caused by advanced age and motor and muscular disorders, can be remedied by improved lip strength
- Trouble Swallowing: Dysphasia, caused by dementia, strokes, brain and spinal cord injuries, and esophageal blockages, can be treated (in part) with lip strengthening exercises
- Facial Transplants: Lip closure strengthening exercises can improve the range of motion and speed of lip movement in facial transplant patients
How to Choose the Right Spring Scale
The data that spring scales generate on lip closure force can keep patients engaged in their course of therapy and accelerate improvements in outcomes.
If you aren’t sure how to select the right spring scale, partner with a distributor that offers a wide range of strength assessment and materials testing equipment, including universal testing machines / motorized test stands, and digital and mechanical force gauges. These professionals have wide-ranging expertise and can provide unbiased recommendations to help you find the best spring scale for your practice.