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 establishing baseline measurements 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