Finding a Cure For Stuttering

Speech pathologists and therapists are working towards finding a cure for stuttering. Even though there is no cure yet, they are getting closer and closer every day. Some people believe the tips and tricks they have already been given cured their stuttering. Others are not so positive, because they continue to stutter on a daily basis. There are conflicting stories about cures for stuttering:

Neurological and Chemical Deficiencies

Scientists and doctors have been studying chemical deficiencies in the brain for a long time. They believe seizures, stuttering, and migraines are all linked to imbalances of chemicals within the brain. The part where they do not agree is how to treat the imbalances.

Some doctors recommend Beta Blockers (a type of medicine) to reduce the frequency of stuttering, migraine, and seizure attacks. If Beta Blockers are not prescribed, patients are often required to take vitamins or medicine for low blood sugar. Vitamins and low blood sugar medicine are believed to smooth the blood flow through troubled spots.

Neurological deficiencies are probable factors of stuttering since stress, anxiety, and emotional elevation are triggers of stammering. There are links to anxiety and emotional elevations in other neurological deficiencies as well.

Speech Therapy Sides with Physical Factors

Speech therapists are trained to work with patients, not prescribe medicine for patients. Therapy teaches techniques of coping to patients with stuttering problems. This is another conflicting side to finding a cure for stuttering. Supporters of neurological deficiencies being the cause of stuttering believe medicines are the only way to prevent something happening within the body. Supporters of therapy believe people who stutter benefit from learning stress relief strategies cause by outside sources.

The Pros and Cons to Both Sides

There is no doubt that both sides have compelling beliefs to finding the cure for stuttering. Research demonstrates a little bit of both sides to be true. Medicines, such as Beta Blockers, continue to lessen the severity of a patient's stuttering. Breathing and coping techniques are effective in helping patients identify words, situations, and feelings contributing to their stuttering.

The cons of the sides differ drastically. Some of the negatives of medicine curing stuttering are: side effects, there is not one medicine proven to work for all stuttering patients, cases of children outgrowing stuttering, etc. Speech therapy also has problems to its ways of curing stuttering. The techniques do not work for everyone. Plus, patients' medical coverage will not allow the patients to be seen for a long period of time. Patients may be allowed 6 months of treatment before they are required to pay the rest out of their own pockets. The longer the patients are out of therapy, the greater chance they have of forgetting the techniques they were taught.

The best solution for stuttering, at least for right now, is the combination of medication and therapy. Science practices are getting closer to finding a cure for stuttering. It has progressed greatly in the past few years, and it is going to get even better in the future.