Oncological Speech Language Pathology Services

Shannon Neuro Rehab Clinic now offers Speech Language Pathology Services with a Physiological Oncology Rehabilitation Institute (PORi) Head and Neck Cancer Certified therapist.

Do you or a loved one experience any of the following since being diagnosed with cancer?

• Achiness, fullness, heaviness, stiffness, and/or swelling in head and/or neck
  • Discomfort when looking both ways while driving or crossing the street
• Changes in memory
• Changes in the sound of your voice
• Choking or coughing during your meals
• Difficulty with finding words
• Difficulty with management of or questions regarding feeding tube
• Difficulty of or questions regarding tracheostomy care
• Feeling like food/drink “gets stuck” in your throat
• Mental fog: feeling of mental dullness
• Shortness of breath
• Slurred speech: frequent requests to repeat what you said

• When should you seek a referral?
  • As soon as you are diagnosed with head and neck cancer is ideal, but a Speech Therapist can help during any time throughout your oncological journey
• Why Speech Therapy?
  • A speech therapist can help with:
    • Establishment of baseline measurements
    • Identify risk factors for or changes in:
      • Cognition or thinking
      • Lymphedema
      • Speech quality
      • Swallowing
      • Voice
    • Why is it important to start speech therapy before starting treatment?
      • Prehab or skilled intervention prior to starting oncology treatment helps with optimizing function prior to:
        • Chemotherapy
        • Radiation treatment
        • Surgery
      • Also helps with:
        • Decreasing frequency for return to ER visits
        • Decreasing length of hospital stays
        • Improving your overall functional recovery from cancer and oncological treatment