Speech therapy massage of the tongue and cheeks - what is it and why is it needed?

Can massage be speech therapy?

Everyone is familiar with the concept of massage in general, the usefulness of which for many conditions is beyond doubt. Under the influence of the work of a massage therapist, blood circulation in tissues improves, their nutrition improves, and the movement of lymph accelerates. The impact on the muscles improves their elasticity and ability to contract and relax.

Based on the need, various movements are used to either increase muscle tone or relax and get rid of spasticity.

Children are often prescribed speech therapy massage for dysarthria, voice disorders, mental retardation and mental retardation, correction of speech disorders accompanying cerebral palsy and other neurological diseases.

As a result of improved blood and lymph movement, there is also a more active blood supply to the blood vessels of the brain, which affects its functioning and the processes of restoration of the central nervous system.

With the help of speech therapy massage it is possible to achieve:

Improving the functioning of the muscles that make up the speech apparatus.
Reducing the increased tone of the muscles involved in the reproduction of sounds.
Better control of the child over the movements of the tongue and facial muscles.
Increases the sensitivity of the entire speech apparatus.
Reduce salivation.
Creating conditions for the functioning of the speech organs, which prepare the child for clear and correct pronunciation of sounds.

Speech therapy massage can be:

Classic. As the name implies, it uses conventional massage techniques, but in this case the facial muscles, cervical-collar area, and tongue are massaged.
Pointed. In this case, the active points of the body are affected, relaxing or stimulating them.
Zondov. It is distinguished by the use of a set of probes designed specifically for speech therapy purposes. With the help of these probes, the necessary areas of the articulatory apparatus are affected. It has been proven to be highly effective when working to improve sound pronunciation.
Hardware. The process is based on the use of devices.

According to its purpose, speech therapy massage is divided into:

activating the work of articulatory muscles
relaxing.

Indications for massage

There are many methods to develop future thinking and speech in newborn children. Not the most recognizable, but effective - massage and related educational games for the hands. The baby's palms help him learn to think. The more precise the motor skills of the hands, the fewer months it will take the newborn to learn speech.

It is believed that if children at the age of 7 months can remove their index finger from their fist, they will not have problems with speech in the future. To make the hands work better, massage ( a set of techniques of mechanical and reflex effects on tissues and organs in the form of rubbing, pressure, vibration, carried out directly on the surface of the human body, both with hands and

) should be done from an early age, when the child is still lying down. In addition to its benefits for the development of the baby’s speech and thinking, hand massage relaxes and calms the baby, improves blood circulation and lifts the mood.

Massage of hands in children ( in the main sense, a person during childhood

) can be done from the age of 2 months. It’s better to devote at least 15 minutes a day to this. As a result, the skin improves, becoming softer. The child quickly learns to control the motor skills of his own fingers.

When does a child need speech therapy massage?

Most often, this speech therapy massage is used to correct dysarthria. Against this background, the effectiveness of the speech therapist’s work in producing sounds increases noticeably.

Massage is also useful for correcting speech in combination with existing neurological disorders. In particular, in children diagnosed with cerebral palsy. Massage relieves spasticity of the facial muscles, typical for this disease.

In addition, massage can be prescribed for:

rhinolalia;
stuttering - but not in all cases and with caution;
delayed speech and mental development;
motor alalia;
slow automation of sounds in dysarthria.

Due to its positive effect on the functioning of blood vessels and improved blood circulation in the brain, speech therapy massage is also quite often prescribed for adults who have problems restoring speech after a stroke.

Massage with spoons

The spoon massage method can be used at home. It significantly improves speech development in children. To perform the manipulation you need two pairs of teaspoons. The massage is performed as follows:

The convex surface of the spoon is used to stroke the temporal area.
The eye sockets are stroked in the same way. You need to move along the eyebrow to the outer border of the eye. Under the eye, the movements are carried out in the reverse order.
Circular stroking of the cheeks is done.
The temporal area is rubbed with a heap of a spoon in a spiral. At the end, you need to gently press on the treated area.
Using spiral movements of a heaped spoon, rub the area between the eyebrows.
Using the edge of a spoon, massage your cheeks from the chin to the eyes.
Use the tip of the product to rub the nasolabial area.
Lightly pressing the end of the spoon works on each lip separately.
The area of the cheekbones and chin is kneaded with the round part of the spoon in a circular motion.

Speech therapy massage helps eliminate speech disorders in a child and ensure normal development of the speech apparatus. It must be performed regularly and using the correct technique.

Contraindications

It seems that speech therapy massage is such a lifesaver with absolute usefulness and a mandatory result. However, this is not quite true. Parents should know that only a specialist can prescribe this procedure. The speech therapist will check the condition of not only the child’s speech, but also the articulation apparatus. In addition, it is important to know your medical history and undergo an examination by a neurologist.

Speech therapy massage is not indicated in the following cases:

Infectious and viral diseases.
Pustular skin diseases.
Increased body temperature in a child.
Strict contraindication - episyndrome, history of epilepsy!
Recent sore throat. Before starting a massage course, you must wait at least 7-10 days after recovery.

Articulation gymnastics - fun exercises for the tongue in verse

For young children under 5 years of age, speech exercises help develop articulatory muscles, improve linguistic mobility, and promote clarity of pronunciation. It is already more difficult for children at the age of five to correct speech defects. After 7 years, to correct speech defects, you will have to turn to speech therapists, who no longer guarantee a good result, since correcting speech at this age is already very difficult. Articulation gymnastics will evoke positive emotions in your child when done in the form of fun exercises in verse.

Basic rules for articulation lessons:

Classes must be systematic, since only regularity and persistence will lead to results.
The duration of one lesson should not exceed 10 minutes.
Classes should be conducted sitting in front of a mirror in a fun way.
You can do no more than 4-5 exercises in one workout.
You can help your baby with a teaspoon or a speech therapist’s wand.

The main thing is to perform the exercises slowly and smoothly, developing the skills of correct articulation. Small funny poems will motivate you to do your homework.

There are static and dynamic exercises:

Statistical - this is when the tongue is fixed in one position. During the execution process, it is important to fix the tongue for 5-7 seconds. in one position. Dynamic exercises train the muscles of the mouth. Static exercises for the tongue:

Static exercises for the tongue:

Exercise “Scapula”: the mouth is open, the tongue should be held in the shape of a spatula for 3-4 seconds.

Exercise “Mushroom”: mouth open, tongue placed on the roof of the mouth.

A fungus grows in the forest, I bring it home. One, two, three, four, five - I must hold the fungus.

Exercise “Proboscis”: stretch your lips into a tube as much as possible, like an elephant’s proboscis and fix for 4-5 seconds.

Dynamic exercises:

The execution must be done counting, changing positions in a certain ri: while smiling, the child imitates the movement of the clock hand back and forth with his tongue.

“Swing”: the tongue swings up and down, like a real swing.

Oh again, let's swing again now. Up and down we're flying, We don't want to slow down.

“Looking for candy”: with closed lips, the tongue rests on one or the other cheek.

I'll look for the candy and look behind the cheek.

“Horse”: the child clicks his tongue like the hooves of a horse.

These simple language exercises can be performed by every parent, without the participation of a speech therapist.

How is speech therapy massage performed?

This method of speech therapy work is quite effective, but should be performed exclusively by a specialist with certain skills and education. For parents, we offer information on how speech therapy massage should be carried out:

The appointment should occur only after the examination has been completed.
Massage is carried out in courses - 10 or 20 sessions. The milder the speech disorder, the shorter the duration of the course and the sessions themselves may be.
As a rule, sessions are scheduled 2 times a week or more often and are included in speech therapy classes.
Depending on the type of massage, the child will be asked to either sit in a chair or lie down on a massage table. Often children are not ready to lie down immediately for a massage. A good specialist will not put pressure on the child, but will give him the opportunity to get used to it gradually.
Manipulations should not be painful.
The duration of the session again depends on the type of speech disorder and the child’s condition. However, the first session, as a rule, lasts only a few minutes and during this time only general relaxing strokes are used. This is done so that the child gets used to the procedure and does not feel fear.
If the child is worried, at first the speech therapist may suggest that he sit on a chair or on his parents' lap during the procedure.

Parents must understand that speech therapy massage is not a panacea. If your child undergoes this procedure, you should not relax and assume that the problem is solved. Massage is only a piece of the overall puzzle that makes up correctional work. To achieve results, it must be combined with special speech therapy classes and home assignments.

Date of publication: 08/13/2016. Last modified: 01/29/2021.

Prevention

It is quite possible to protect your gums and teeth from an unpleasant disease if you follow a number of simple rules:

Visit the dentist 2 times a year. The specialist will identify the disease in the initial stages, which will greatly facilitate treatment. Visits to the doctor will help to diagnose caries in a timely manner and replace low-quality fillings. After all, one of the causes of periodontitis is pathogenic microorganisms and uneven fillings.
Maintaining oral hygiene at home is another important preventive measure. Brushing your teeth in the morning and evening with a medium-hard brush will help avoid periodontitis. As additional care products, it is necessary to use dental floss, tongue cleaner, and rinses. It is very important to choose the right toothpaste. If you find it difficult to choose, consult your doctor. Perhaps a specialist will recommend a specific paste - with fluoride or medicinal herbs.
Eating right helps prevent disease by eating solid foods, which put stress on the teeth and gums, strengthening them. The diet should contain vegetables and fruits, dairy products (preferably without sugar), fish and meat.

Prevention does not require special efforts; only a systematic and comprehensive approach is important. And then a reliable barrier will be erected between you and the disease.

Complex dentistry "Sanident", providing services in the urban district of Shchelkovo and Ivanteevka, invites you to undergo a free examination, which will help identify dental pathology at an early stage of development and quickly eliminate it. For treatment, we use modern materials and high-quality painkillers, which allows patients to feel as comfortable as possible during any procedure. Equipping the clinic with the most modern and advanced equipment allows for effective treatment of any dental disease.

We pay special attention to quality and service and strive to ensure that anyone can use our services. Therefore, our prices for dental treatment are affordable, promotions are often held, and discounts apply.

The specialists of the Sanident dental clinic are ready to help right now. Use the consultation registration form on our website.

Actions for increased and decreased muscle tone

Speech therapy massage for low muscle tone begins with light massaging movements of the shoulder girdle. After this, the specialist touches those articulatory areas that are least active in the child. For example, movement disorders can occur when the chewing muscles or cheekbone muscles are underdeveloped. In this case, this area needs to be particularly actively affected.

The force of pressure should increase gradually, with each session, and the pressure, despite its intensity, should not cause pain in the patient.

For hypertension, a massage with a relaxing effect is prescribed. All movements are made in the direction from the periphery to the central part, and the pressure force should be small, otherwise the condition of the articulatory apparatus may deteriorate. The movements should be sliding and slightly pressing. Each movement should be repeated approximately 8 times. The pace of the massage is slow (it is the slow pace that reduces the degree of tissue excitability). Simultaneously with the impact on muscle tissue, the specialist asks the child to perform passive head movements. This means that the patient must slowly turn their head clockwise and then counterclockwise. Thanks to this technique, it is possible to relax the neck muscles, which helps reduce the increased tone of the tongue.

During various techniques, not only massage of the tongue muscles is performed. The doctor makes stroking movements (longitudinal and transverse) in the area of the forehead and bridge of the nose, presses on the hair growth area, and makes tapping movements in the area of the lip muscles to completely relax them.

Please note: some children are diagnosed with increased and decreased tone of various muscles. In this case, a differentiated massage is carried out: the specialist acts on some parts more actively, while others massage with relaxing movements. This approach requires high qualifications and a lot of practice.

How else can you help your baby?

Effective painkillers for teething in a baby can be:

Breast milk.
The “pain-relieving” effect of breast milk is widely known. If your baby is teething painfully, it is enough to give him the breast to calm him down. When in contact with the mother, the baby calms down reflexively, even if the gums continue to hurt.
Cold.
If parents don't have time to give their baby a massage, a chilled water teether is an excellent method of pain relief. You can choose a teether of any shape, but not too large and thick - it should be comfortable for the baby to hold in his hand.
A bottle with a pacifier
filled with water at room temperature will also be an excellent way to calm the baby. Cool liquid and sucking movements will help quickly relieve the baby's condition.
Diluted clove oil
also has an analgesic effect and can quickly relieve inflammation and soothe gums. The main thing is not to use the oil in its pure form, as it can cause burns to the mucous membranes.