Finding Your Voice Again: How Voice Therapy Can Help
Has your voice become strained, raspy, or unreliable? Do you find yourself constantly clearing your throat or coughing to get your voice back? Are you tired of going from doctor to doctor to find a solution? You may be experiencing symptoms of vocal damage. But there are solutions available to help you regain your natural voice. Voice therapy is a non-invasive treatment that can address a wide range of vocal issues and get you speaking smoothly again.
Your voice is a key part of who you are. It allows you to communicate, express yourself, and connect on a human level. When you start to experience chronic vocal problems like hoarseness, vocal fatigue, loss of range, or discomfort when speaking, it can negatively impact your quality of life. The constant throat clearing, coughing, or vocal straining is your voice sounding the alarm that something is wrong.
These persistent vocal issues are anything but normal. They are signs that you need specialized care to get to the root cause and find the right treatment. Don’t just resign yourself to live with the pain and frustration. There are speech-language pathologists who can evaluate your voice and determine if voice therapy is right for you.
Who Can Benefit from Voice Therapy?
Voice therapy helps treat and prevent voice disorders, while also teaching optimal voicing techniques. It is beneficial for a wide range of people, including:
- Professional voice users like singers, actors, teachers, and public speakers
- People with medical conditions such as vocal fold nodules, polyps, paralysis, or weakness
- Individuals who rely heavily on their voice for work like coaches, telemarketers, and receptionists
- People wanting to improve vocal projection, diction, range, and confidence
- Children and adults looking to change habitual voicing behaviors like excessive throat clearing
What Happens in Voice Therapy?
Voice therapy is centered around your unique needs. Exercises are tailored to help you meet your goals and retrain your voice. Some examples of what you may work on include:
- Vocal hygiene and preventing misuse/overuse
- Physical relaxation and proper breathing technique
- Posture and projection
- Coordinating and balancing vocal fold vibration
- Expanding vocal range and stamina
- Changing habitual voicing patterns
The techniques you learn will help you gain strength, control, and coordination of your vocal folds. Therapy also teaches you how to use your voice in a healthy manner to prevent future issues.
The great news is voice therapy is non-invasive and usually short-term. Just a handful of sessions over a few weeks can set you on the path toward a healthier, stronger voice. With some diligence and practice, you have the power to find your natural voice again!
Don’t continue to suffer through vocal strain and fatigue. Seek professional voice evaluation and treatment. Voice therapy can help you regain confidence, vocal freedom, and the ability to communicate comfortably once more.
If you’re in the Boise area, come into Boise Speech and Hearing Clinic for a full voice assessment. Our licensed speech-language pathologists can determine if voice therapy is right for you. With customized exercises and techniques, we’ll help you find your natural voice again. Call today to schedule a voice evaluation! Schedule a consultation today!
