Evaluation and natural treatment of speech and language disorders

The main mode of communication between people is speech. It typically develops naturally and in conjunction with other conditions of normal growth and development. The disorder can happen when the normal pattern of development is disrupted. There can be disfluency in the impairment when a person repeats a phrase, word, or sound.

There are many different types of speech impairments and they typically manifest in childhood. Speech impairment is a term that doctors are using to refer to many different conditions in which the person has difficulty creating or forming the sounds which are necessary to communicate with other people. Voice disorders, disfluency disorders, and articulation disorders are the most common speech impairments.

The symptoms of speech impairment can vary a lot, such as volume problems; pitch issues; hoarseness; errors in word formation; distorted sounds; pausing during speaking, and repetition of sounds and words. There are many causes that can lead to speech impairment, such as the imbalance between muscles and the nervous system; impatient nature; loss of control of speech; anxiety, stress, and shame; nervousness and embarrassment; genetic disorder.

The articulation disorders have no definitive cause and they can happen as damage to the brain or nerves, mouth anatomy, or as a result of genetics. Voice disorders can be caused by nerve damage, cleft palate, cancer, and acid reflux.

It is very important to talk with your doctor if you have some kind of speech impairment before you start using some of the below-mentioned home remedies for this condition.

17 home remedies for speech impairment

Bloated borax with honey treats speech impairment

Borax is also known as Disodium tetraborate, sodium tetraborate, and sodium borate. You should take a little amount of bloated borax and then mix it with honey. Then, you should rub this paste on your tongue. This is a very effective home remedy for stammering.

Stand tall

You should always have a great posture because this will help you to look and feel good whenever you are speaking, whether is a chat over lunch or it is a formal speaking engagement. When you are in proper posture, then it will boost your confidence and tells people that you know what you are talking about.

Cinnamomum Tamala

It is also known as malabathrum, Indian cassia, Indian bark, Malabar leaf, or Tejpat. You should use Cinnamomum Tamala under your tongue. This is a very effective home remedy for stuttering and stammering.

Practice diaphragmatic breathing

There are some cases when impairments in speech, such as stuttering, which grow from anxiety and nerves. If you are going to speak in a front of a group, then you should go through a deep breathing activity which can relax your body, calm your nerves and it will get you in the right mental state for the proper speech.

You should sit comfortably with an erect posture. You should breathe in deeply through your nose. You need to use your hand to feel that your stomach is expanding like a balloon being inflated. You should hold your breath and then release it slowly and you will feel that your stomach is deflating beneath your hand.

You should repeat this exercise before you have to speak in public because this will give you relief from the stress. [1,2]

Black pepper with butter cures speech impairment

You should take some fine powder of black pepper and then mix it with butter. You should eat this mixture on daily basis in the morning because in this way you will rid of the stammering in a period of few days. [3]

Indian gooseberry

Indian gooseberry is also known as amla. This is also a very effective home remedy for stammering. You should take one fresh green amla and chew it slowly. Also, this can be an effective home remedy for your children if they have problems with speech. [4]

Support your speech from the diaphragm

When you are standing in the proper position and when you are sitting in the proper posture, then this will draw your voice not directly from your larynx, but from your diaphragm. When you are relaxing your shoulders, then you are reliving the pressure on the larynx and this means that you will talk in a natural pitch.

It is very important to keep your feet flat and steady because this can give you a very stable vertical base that will support your body when you are talking. [1,2]

Yoga helps speech impairment

This ancient technique can help you to feel relaxed. There are some cases when yoga has helped people who have speech disorders caused by vocal cord dysfunction but many more studies should be carried out in the future to approve or disapprove of it. You should practice it appropriately under the guidance of a health professional. [5,6]

Almond, black pepper, and sugar candy

You should take 7 pieces of almond and black pepper and then grind them to make a fine paste. You should add a small amount of sugar candy to this paste and then lick it. When you are using this home remedy on daily basis in the morning with an empty stomach, then you will get relief from the stuttering or stammering. You should use this natural treatment on regular basis for at least one month.

Brahmi oil

This is a very effective home remedy for speech impairments. You should take 10 ml of Brahmi oil and make it warm. You should let it stay there to become lukewarm. You should gently massage your head using this lukewarm oil and then let it stay there for thirty minutes. After this natural treatment, you should take a hot bath. This will boost the power of your brain.

Also, you can use this oil at night and when you wake up in the morning you should wash it because in this way you will get more positive results.

Maintain good posture

It is known that if you keep your back bent and hunch your shoulders, then you will not get enough air to exert pressure on the diaphragm or pass through the larynx. You should have the next posture: your stomach should be in; your chest out; your shoulders relaxed; your back straight and your feet steady.

Take your time

You should speak slowly and carefully because this is the best way to express yourself when you are having a speech disorder. But you should not speak very slowly. You should speak at a pace that will be comfortable for you and the people who are with you.

Ginseng

In traditional medicine, this home remedy was used to improve the symptoms of a hoarse voice. But there should be a lot more studies about ginseng and its healing properties on speech impairments.

If you have an allergy to the Araliaceae family, then you should avoid using ginseng as your natural treatment. This can cause serious life-threatening skin reactions so always talk with your doctor before you start using ginseng as your natural treatment.

Aromatherapy

This is a therapy in which essential oils are used. Aromatherapy is including essential oils which are applied, inhaled, or sprayed in the air. These essential oils are usually mixed with a carrier oil, such as vegetable oil or alcohol. This natural treatment has been used to treat laryngitis which is a condition that is causing the voice to be hoarse. There should be done a lot more studies in the future to determine if this is a safe and effective therapy for this indication.

You should administer essential oils in carrier oils to avoid their toxicity. If you have allergic dermatitis, then you should avoid using aromatherapy as your natural treatment for speech impairments.

You should avoid consuming essential oils.

You should avoid direct contact with undiluted oils with mucous membranes. If you are pregnant, you should be careful when you are applying it. [7]

Read out loud

You should choose some poems, short stories, or speeches from a college English textbook and you should read them aloud. In this way, you will stay concentrated on the sounds and muscle movements which are involved in each word and you should not be worried about not having new words to say. [8]

Try books and tapes on spoken English

You should practice 2 – 3 hours on a daily basis because this can help to pronounce the words properly, practice articulation, and pace your speech. You should write some words and sentences that you find difficult to pronounce.

If English isn’t your mother tongue, then read books in your native language.

Visualization

You should imagine the words that you want to say before you say them. Let them stay in your mind. This is a very easy practice and it can help you a lot. [8]

References

[1] Conelea C, Rice KA, Woods DW. Regulated breathing as a treatment for stuttering: A review of the empirical evidence. The Journal of Speech and Language Pathology, Applied Behavior Analysis. 2006;1(2):94-102.

[2] Kaya Y, Arslan A, Avci S, et al. Synchronized action of breathing and diaphragm by hypnosis assisted abdominal weightlifting exercises and ego strengthening for the treatment of stuttering “Kaya method”. Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences. 2015;193:153-64.

[3] Rehman A, Mehmood MH, Haneef M, et al. Potential of black pepper as a functional food for treatment of airways disorders. Journal of Functional Foods.2015;19:126-40.

[4] Rao TP, Sakaguchi N, Juneja LR, et al. Amla ( Emblica officinalis Gaertn.) extracts reduce oxidative stress in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Journal of Medicinal Food. 2005;8(3):362-8.

[5] Beck, Christina. Practitioners’ perceptions of yoga within speech-language pathology. Dissertation Thesis: Minot State University. 2019.

[6] Radhakrishna S. Application of integrated yoga therapy to increase imitation skills in children with autism spectrum disorder. International Journal of Yoga. 2010;3(1):26–30.

[7] Perry N, Perry E. Aromatherapy in the management of psychiatric disorders: Clinical and neuropharmacological perspectives. CNS Drugs. 2006;20:257–80.

[8] Picker ER. Exploring the link between visualization skills and reading in deaf and hard of hearing children. Independent Study Project for Master of Science in Deaf Education: Washington University School of Medicine. 2013.