Massage of the tongue - sessions for good diction

15-06-2018

Cosmetology

Massage is not only a way to relax on the beaches in Thailand. As you know, this procedure has a powerful healing effect and one of the spheres of influence is, however strange it may sound, diction and articulation. Moms who are worried about the speech apparatus of their offspring have long since learned about what language massage is. This is truly an excellent procedure that will help your child speak and feel more confident. If you are concerned about your children's speech problems, this article can help.

What is speech therapy language massage?

A language massage is a procedure that affects the language in order to facilitate the reproduction of sounds for the child. As a rule, this is a complex process consisting of 10-15 sessions of 10-20 minutes over a period of two months. This procedure is carried out by doctors in speech therapy centers, and it is also possible to massage the tongue to the child at home.

Indications for use

Speech defects;
Involuntary salivation;
Voice disorders;
Dysarthria;
Problems with pronunciation;
Hypertonic articulation muscles;
Insufficient contractility of the facial muscles;
Difficult breathing during conversations.

Contraindications for language massage

Peaks of viral and infectious diseases;
Stomatitis;
Swollen lymph nodes;
Herpes;
Conjunctivitis.

Massage the tongue at home

First of all, it is important to understand that any massage is a rather serious medical procedure. Of course, it is impossible to make it to yourself. But if you decide to take the responsibility to massage the tongue to the child yourself at home, before that you should definitely contact a specialist. He will determine if the child has any contraindications that you didn’t notice yourself, will say if the child needs such a procedure, give general recommendations, describe a step-by-step scheme of actions depending on whether the patient has increased muscle tone.

Massage the baby's tongue with fingers

So, you, after consulting with your doctor, decided to massage the tongue to the child at home.

You need to start with the conditions in which the session will take place. The room should be bright, warm and well ventilated. The child needs to feel as comfortable as possible, he should not feel fear or any inconvenience. The hands of the masseur are supposed to be warm, soft, without decorations and with shortly cropped nails. All this is necessary in order not to accidentally injure the delicate skin of the child.
Massaging is best done 2 hours after the meal, after clearing the patient's mouth cavity from food debris. Stock up on cotton wool or gauze, because during the procedure there is abundant salivation.
The first session should not exceed the time limit in 5 minutes. Muscles need to get used to the unexpected load. During the passage of the complex, the duration of the massage can be gradually increased to 20 minutes, if necessary.
To decide how to massage the tongue, you need to understand how your baby suffers - with increased or decreased muscle tone. To do this, as mentioned above, you should consult with a specialist. It will depend on the diagnosis whether to exercise actively or relaxedly.

Step by step instructions for performing a language massage:

Put your thumb on top of the uvula, and the middle and index finger from the bottom. Now slowly start rubbing the tongue from its root to the tip, first on one side and then on the other;
The initial position of the fingers remains the same, but now the grinding movements should take the form of a spiral. The direction of movement is the same as in the previous exercise;
Clap all over the tongue;
Prominent his longitudinal muscles;
Squeeze the tongue on the sides at its root for 2-3 seconds, and then move closer to the tip and repeat the procedure;
Perform tingling movements across its surface;
Top down massage the bridle of the uvula.

Tongue massage with a toothbrush

To perform speech therapy language massage, often resort to the use of additional items. The most applicable assistant in this business was a toothbrush. The brush should be small in size and have a soft bristle. Before the procedure, it must be properly sanitized. Phased massage with a toothbrush:

With a dotted movement, draw a zigzag on the surface of the tongue, moving from left to right;
Repeat the previous exercise, but now use circular movements instead of point ones;
From the bridle of the uvula to its tip, draw two straight parallel lines with dotted movements;
Repeat step 3 in a circular motion;
Make a patting motion with a toothbrush over the entire surface of the tongue;
Putting the brush on the lower teeth, perform the vibration of the tongue;
Walk along its edges (first left, then right) from the bottom to the tip with dotted movements;
Repeat the procedure in a circular motion.