Excited to Get Back to Voice Therapy!
After spending the past several months soaking up time with my new baby, I am officially back from maternity leave! While I am incredibly grateful for that special time with my family, I am also so excited to return to Back 2 You Speech Language Pathology and begin working with my clients again.
One area I am especially excited to dive back into is voice therapy. Your voice plays such an important role in how you communicate, connect with others, and feel like yourself. When your voice becomes raspy, strained, weak, or unreliable, it can affect both your personal and professional life.
What Is Muscle Tension Dysphonia?
Muscle tension dysphonia, often called MTD, is a voice disorder caused by excessive tension in and around the muscles of the larynx, or voice box. This tension can interfere with the way the vocal folds vibrate and make speaking feel uncomfortable or effortful.
Common symptoms of muscle tension dysphonia may include:
A raspy, hoarse, strained, or tight-sounding voice
Vocal fatigue or a voice that becomes worse throughout the day
Throat discomfort, tightness, or soreness when speaking
Difficulty projecting your voice
Frequent throat clearing
Voice breaks or periods of voice loss
Feeling like you have to push or work harder to speak
A voice that does not sound or feel like your own
Muscle tension dysphonia may develop after an illness, prolonged coughing, vocal overuse, stress, irritation from reflux or allergies, or another condition affecting the voice. It is commonly seen in teachers, coaches, healthcare professionals, singers, public speakers, and others who use their voices frequently.
How Can a Speech-Language Pathologist Help?
Voice therapy is provided by a speech-language pathologist with specialized training in evaluating and treating voice disorders. Treatment is not one-size-fits-all. At Back 2 You Speech Language Pathology, voice therapy is individualized based on your symptoms, vocal demands, and personal goals.
Depending on your needs, voice therapy for muscle tension dysphonia may include:
Resonant voice therapy to help produce a clearer, more forward-focused voice with less effort
Semi-occluded vocal tract exercises, such as straw phonation or lip trills
Diaphragmatic breathing and improved coordination between breathing and speaking
Exercises to reduce tension in the jaw, neck, shoulders, and throat
Techniques to improve vocal projection without straining
Education about hydration, vocal hygiene, and healthy voice use
Strategies for reducing throat clearing, coughing, and other behaviors that may irritate the vocal folds
Practice carrying a more efficient voice into everyday conversations and work-related speaking tasks
The goal is not simply to complete a list of exercises. The goal is to help you learn how to produce a stronger, clearer, and more resonant voice in a way that feels comfortable and sustainable.
Voice Therapy in Buffalo and West Seneca, NY
If you are experiencing chronic hoarseness, vocal fatigue, voice loss, throat tension, or difficulty projecting your voice, you do not have to continue pushing through it. An evaluation with an ear, nose, and throat physician may be recommended to examine the vocal folds and identify any underlying concerns. Voice therapy can then address the patterns contributing to your symptoms and help you use your voice more efficiently.
Back 2 You Speech Language Pathology provides individualized voice evaluations and voice therapy for adults in Buffalo, West Seneca, and throughout Western New York. Teletherapy may also be available for clients located in New York State.
I am so happy to be back and cannot wait to help more people feel confident and comfortable using their voices again.
Contact Back 2 You Speech Language Pathology today to learn more or schedule a consultation.
Phone: 716-202-8616
Email: kpaler@back2youslp.com
Location: 40 Gardenville Parkway W, Suite 216, West Seneca, NY 14224
Helping YOU get back to YOU!
