Speech Therapy

Improve your communication and swallowing skills with help from the speech-language pathology team at St. Bernards Healthcare. These professionals empower you to enjoy a more independent, interactive life.

Do I Need Speech Therapy?

You may benefit from speech therapy after a diagnosis of:

• Brain injury
• Cancer affecting your head or neck
• Dysphagia (trouble swallowing)
• Hearing loss
• Neurological condition, such as Alzheimer’s disease, stroke or Parkinson’s disease

Benefits of Speech Therapy

Rehabilitation gives you the tools to:

• Speak fluently
• Pronounce words clearly, correctly and loudly
• Understand written, spoken and nonverbal communication
• Use the right words in the correct order
• Reduce symptoms of memory loss

We’ll work together to make a personal treatment plan that helps you reach your goals.

VitalStim® Therapy for Swallowing

If you have trouble swallowing, your therapist may recommend VitalStim. This technology uses gentle electrodes attached to your neck to retrain the muscles you need to eat. A low current gently stimulates the motor nerves, making them contract to pass food through your throat. As your muscles gradually relearn the swallowing technique, you can eat more like you used to.