The Voice
The voice is ___
Voice disorders are conditions that affect the production, quality and functional use of ones voice. Treatment frequently targets the minimizing negative voice qualities and/or preventing their occurrence entirely and facilitating the healing of damage to the voice. Frequently this can include treatment for proper breathing and breath support as well as speaking techniques.
Common voice disorders:
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Voice Therapy
Voice therapy is a program of exercises designed to help improve the function and quality of your voice by altering different aspects of voice and/or speech production. The impact of a voice disorder on daily communication, job performance, and in social relationships can be huge thus each program is made to fit the unique needs of an individual patient. In this process of education, skill-building and carryover, the therapist and the client working towards one goal: allowing the client to speak without causing vocal damage while meeting the needs of their daily vocal tasks. Treatment usually focuses on one or more of four areas:
Injured Voice Healing and Prevention: A successful therapy program is designed to help you improve the sound of your voice while the injury on the voice heals. This can also help you avoid vocal damage in the future. For patients who need voice surgery, pre-operative and post-operative voice therapy ensures the best outcome and can reduce the possibility of recurrence and in some cases, speed up the rate of recovery.
Performer's Voice Care: Actors, singers, and professional speakers are especially concerned with protecting their voice. They differ from the general population because of the unusual demands placed on their voices. As a certified Vocologist, our clinical voice specialist specifically tailors voice therapy to meet the needs of the professional voice user.
Neurological Voice Disorders: If you have been diagnosed with a neurological voice disorder (e.g., Spasmodic Dysphonia, Vocal Tremor, etc.), behavioral treatment may be prescribed in addition to, or (in some cases) as an alternative to medical treatment.
Vocal Cord Dysfunction: The job of the vocal folds is to stay open while we breathe and close when we swallow. The "paradoxical" in paradoxical vocal fold motion means that the vocal folds are doing the "opposite" of what is expected: closingduring inhalation. Therapy sessions provide you with the tools you need to manage and sometimes eliminate these breathing problems.
Injured Voice Healing and Prevention: A successful therapy program is designed to help you improve the sound of your voice while the injury on the voice heals. This can also help you avoid vocal damage in the future. For patients who need voice surgery, pre-operative and post-operative voice therapy ensures the best outcome and can reduce the possibility of recurrence and in some cases, speed up the rate of recovery.
Performer's Voice Care: Actors, singers, and professional speakers are especially concerned with protecting their voice. They differ from the general population because of the unusual demands placed on their voices. As a certified Vocologist, our clinical voice specialist specifically tailors voice therapy to meet the needs of the professional voice user.
Neurological Voice Disorders: If you have been diagnosed with a neurological voice disorder (e.g., Spasmodic Dysphonia, Vocal Tremor, etc.), behavioral treatment may be prescribed in addition to, or (in some cases) as an alternative to medical treatment.
Vocal Cord Dysfunction: The job of the vocal folds is to stay open while we breathe and close when we swallow. The "paradoxical" in paradoxical vocal fold motion means that the vocal folds are doing the "opposite" of what is expected: closingduring inhalation. Therapy sessions provide you with the tools you need to manage and sometimes eliminate these breathing problems.
Voice therapy has been highly successful and almost anyone can benefit from therapy. The success of the therapy depends on the clients diligence in practicing and using the strategies learned. While some voice disorders do not respond to therapy and require other medical attention. Without voice therapy most disorders will stay the same or possible worsen.