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These exercises are designed to increase the range of movement in your tongue, lips, and
jaw, which will help your speech and/or swallow functioning. When doing these exercises, it is
important to move the designated area as far as you can in each direction until you feel the
muscles stretch. Stop if you feel any pain, and mention it to your speech therapist or doctor.
TONGUE EXERCISES
Range of Motion:
1. TongueExtension
Protrudetonguebetweenlips.
2. TongueRetraction
Retract tongue, touching the back of your tongue to the roof of your mouth (as if
producing the /k/).
Holdfor 1 to 3 seconds.
Combine the two procedures above, holding each position for 1 to 3 seconds.
4. TongueTip Up
Place tongue on alveolar ridge, (the area behind your top teeth.)
If you don't have any teeth, move your tongue tip up to your gum where your top teeth
would be.
5. TongueElevationAlongThePalate
Tongue tip to alveolar ridge, (The area behind your top teeth.)
6. TongueSideToSide
If you can perform exercise # 4, lower your jaw as far as you can while keeping tongue tip
behind your teeth.
TongueResistance:
1. TonguePush Forward
Put something flat (back of a spoon or a tongue depressor) against your tongue
Push against your tongue with the flat object at the same time as you push against the flat
object with your tongue
Holdfor 1 to 2 seconds.
Repeat 5 times.
2. TonguePush Up
Push down on your tongue with the flat object, while, at the same time, you push up with
your tongue.
Hold 1 second.
Repeat 5 times.
3. TonguePushToTheSide
Extend your tongue as far as possible to the corner of your mouth while pressing against a
tongue depressor.
Holdfor 1 second.
Repeat 5 times.
4. TongueInsidePush
Put your finger against your right cheek about 1" to the side of the corner of your mouth.
From the inside, push your tongue against your cheek where your finger is touching. Push
as hard as you can.
Relax and Repeat 5 times for each side of the mouth unless instructed otherwise
JAW EXERCISES
Range of Motion:
1. JawOpening
Open your jaw as wide as you can until you feel a stretching, but no pain.
Hold this furthest open position for 5 seconds then relax and close your mouth.
2. Side-to-SideMovement
Move your jaw to the right side as far as you can until it pulls but does not hurt.
Move your jaw to the left side as far as you can until you feel a stretch but it does not hurt.
LIP EXERCISES
Range of Motion:
1. LipRetraction
2. LipProtrusion
Holdfor 5 seconds.
LipClosure:
1. LipPress
2. LipPressonTongueDepressor
Tightly press lips around tongue depressor, while the clinician tries to remove it.
Performfor 3 to 5 seconds.
3. PuffCheeks
Fill cheeks with air, move air from one cheek to the other 5 to 10 times.
Place one end of candy between the tongue and hard palate.
2. Fruit Juice On Gauze Squeeze (Use only if the patient can tolerate small amounts of liquid
without aspirating.)
Ask the patient to push upward and backward with his tongue.
This action will squeeze juice from the gauze, aid in bolus propulsion, and allow the patient
to practice small liquid swallow while manipulating solids.