The Benefits of Instrumental Assessments for Swallowing, Voice, and Breathing Difficulties

Instrumental assessments for swallowing, voice, and breathing difficulties often mean long waitlists and limited flexibility with appointment times. Thankfully, there are some private Speech Pathology practices in Brisbane offering instrumental assessment who can help you get seen sooner. But why does that matter? Why is an instrumental assessment for swallowing, voice, and breathing difficulties so important? 

In this article, our team of Speech Pathologists, with advanced training in instrumental assessment, will share some of the benefits of this procedure. 

What is an Instrumental Assessment? 

In Speech Pathology, an instrumental assessment of swallowing, voice, and breathing typically involves using a piece of equipment to get an “inside view” of your anatomy.  

The most common instrumental assessments Speech Pathologists can be trained in include Videofluoroscopy (or VFSS), Functional Laryngoscopy, and Flexible Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing (FEES).  

By completing an instrumental assessment, your Speech Pathologist will be able to see how your swallowing, voice, or breathing function is being impacted. 

What Are the Benefits of Instrumental Assessments for Swallowing, Voice and Breathing Difficulties? 

Getting an “Inside View” 

Instrumental assessments allow Speech Pathologists to get an inside view of your anatomy that they simply can’t get by conducting a general clinical assessment. This is important for you and your clinician! 

Assessing the function of your swallowing, voice, and breathing can support early identification of early changes in how your voice and swallow function and what might be contributing to the symptoms you are experiencing.  

For example, if a clinician is conducting a FEES swallowing assessment, they may notice that when eating a certain texture, some food may be “sticking around” after the swallow. 

A note on VFSS vs FEES – It’s important we note here that different instrumental assessment tools provide different types of visualisation of your anatomy. While VFSS is an important form of instrumental swallowing assessment, FEES is known for being able to provide a detailed view of the pharyngeal phase of swallowing—the part of the swallowing process that occurs after food or liquid enters the throat and before it reaches the oesophagus.  

This visualisation of the pharyngeal swallowing phase is critical for identifying issues such as aspiration (when food or liquid enters the airway), residue (food or liquid left in the throat after swallowing), and incomplete airway closure, all of which can result in compilations such as o an infection called aspiration pneumonia. 

Ensuring a Thorough Assessment 

If you are seeing a Speech Pathologist because of swallowing, voice, or breathing difficulties, we know you want to get the right answers and a clear plan to help address the symptoms. To do that well, your Speech Pathologist may want to complete a thorough assessment. 

For some people, a clinical assessment may be enough to start the ball rolling. However, an instrumental assessment of swallowing, voice, and breathing difficulties is often recommended to ensure that your clinician has a complete picture of the symptoms you are presenting with and can provide the best solution possible for you in ongoing therapy sessions. Instrumental assessment can also allow for screening of reported pain or throat discomfort that may require further evaluation by an Ear Nose and Throat Specialist (ENT). 

Objectively Measuring Success of Recommended Strategies 

Having your Speech Pathologist in the room during an instrumental assessment is incredibly beneficial. They’ll be able to see how your swallowing, voice, and breathing function is impacted and what happens when you try out different strategies to address those difficulties. Instrumental assessment can help to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions. 

It’s kind of like having a trainer with you at the gym, who watches you and notices that the way you are moving could be contributing to pain or difficulty. By being there with you, your trainer can adjust your form or the weight in the moment and help you to achieve your goal of completing an exercise with minimal pain and discomfort.  

Monitoring Changes Effectively 

This next benefit is particularly noteworthy for people experiencing swallowing, voice, and breathing changes associated with progressive neurological conditions.  

Unfortunately, due to the progressive nature of these conditions, your symptoms will change with time. While ongoing speech therapy can help you to maintain your swallowing, voice, and breathing, over time there will be a natural deterioration that needs to be monitored for your safety and wellbeing.  

This is why instrumental assessments like Functional Laryngoscopy and FEES are our preference – they enable clinicians to re-assess you as–needed without the need for repeated trips to the hospital for VFSS. With these types of instrumental assessments for swallowing, voice, and breathing, your Speech Pathologist can monitor changes effectively and help you to maintain your quality of life as your condition progresses. 

Instrumental Assessment of Swallowing, Voice and Breathing in Brisbane 

If you would like to pursue an instrumental assessment of your swallowing, voice, or breathing in Brisbane, our team at Speak and Swallow are here to help. We provide instrumental assessments in North Brisbane (Burpengary) from the comfort of our private practice clinic. We are right next to a friendly GP office, who can support us with these procedures if required, for your safety. Additionally, our senior team will ensure you are well prepared for your instrumental assessment experience. 

To find out more information, you can visit our dedicated website pages to learn more about our FEES (swallowing assessment) procedure and Functional Laryngoscopy (for voice and breathing).