Q - Quiet Voice

Another less known symptom of Parkinson’s is decreased speech volume. Many people with Parkinson’s speak quietly and in a monotone pitch. This can affect how they interact with others and how they are perceived, and in turn have a negative impact on confidence and quality of life.

So speech therapy is a thing. I have not noticed any significant problems with my voice yet, so I have not tried speech therapy, but this is probably something that should be started sooner rather than later.

The Lee Silverman Voice Technique (LSVT) is a proven therapy that focuses on increasing vocal loudness and is delivered by a speech therapist. 🗣

But singing can also help:

Researchers from the University of Melbourne in Australia examined the impact of a singing-based therapeutic intervention, called ParkinSong, on voice, speech, respiratory function, and voice-related quality-of-life in people with Parkinson’s and found that intensive singing sessions positively affected vocal intensity, respiratory muscle strength and voice-related quality of life. 🎵🎶🎤