Singing Tips: Voice Therapy

It happens all the time - we shout at a football game, we yell at the person who just cut us off in traffic, we sing at the top of our lungs at our favorite concert venue, we scream when our favorite team wins the championship game. Sometimes excitement just gets the best of us. However, producing these sounds can have an adverse impact on our vocal cords and cause some serious damage if we are not careful.

Vocal strain is caused by over-exerting the vocal cords in your larynx. Over-exertion (aka abusing the voice) causes undue stress to the vocal cords which can lead to vocal tiredness and vocal nodules. Vocal nodules are masses of tissue that develop on the vocal cords as a result of strain. Symptoms of vocal modules are hoarseness, pain when speaking normally, and general vocal fatigue (your voice gets tired after speaking for a short period of time). In addition, vocal strain can be developed after a battle with the common cold or allergies.

If you are suffering from vocal strain or you think you may have vocal nodules, contact your doctor! While vocal nodules can be healed on their own, sometimes they require surgery to be removed. My goal is to help you stay away from the stage by taking preventative steps when speaking and singing.

If you do sing and speak often, warm up your voice! I cannot emphasize this enough. Because your vocal folds are so delicate, you really need to take the time to warm up your voice before you entertain a speaking or singing engagement. Vocal fry is an excellent way to warm up your voice because it produces light vibrations to get the blood flowing in your vocal cords. Another wonderful way to get your voice prepared is to gently hum your favorite song. Humming also produces the same effect as vocal fry in that the gentle vibrations loosen your cords and prepare them for the day ahead.

Also, herbal teas are an excellent way to soothe and heal your voice. Chamomile tea (my personal favorite) is a wonderful tea that gently soothes your cords and removes excess mucous from your vocal cords.

Finally: rest, rest, rest! If you feel like you are suffering from vocal strain or possibly a vocal nodule, the best thing you can do is get sleep and rest your voice. Adequate sleep works as a natural remedy to vocal strain and nodules. Also, while going through vocal strain, be sure to keep talking to a minimum, and if you do talk, keep it as quiet as you possibly can.

Follow these simple tips to help ensure your voice stays in the best shape possible!

1. Bowen, Caroline. "Voice Therapy for Adults with Vocal Nodules and Voice Strain." Speech Language Therapy