Voice Therapy

There are many reasons why you might need voice therapy. They may include:

• Laryngitis.
• Muscle tension dysphonia (tight vocal cords).
• Vocal tremor and spasmodic dysphonia.
• Vocal cord lesions.
• Vocal cord paralysis.
• Vocal cord atrophy (thinning vocal fold muscles).

What to expect at your first visit

When you come to see us, the first thing we’ll ask you to do is to share your story. We’ll want to know:

• Why you want to try voice therapy.
• What’s been going on with your voice.
• Any problems or symptoms you’ve had.
• How your voice problems have affected your life.

We’ll also want to hear about your medical history. And we’ll do a physical exam to check your throat and your overall health. We may also recommend a few tests.

Voice recording and analysis

We use a microphone and special computer software to record your voice. Then we’ll analyze its quality. We also use this tool to track your progress during voice therapy.

Video laryngoscopy

We carefully insert an endoscope (flexible tube with a light, lens and video camera) into your nose and throat. Laryngoscopy creates detailed pictures and video of your vocal cords and larynx (voice box). It helps us spot abnormal growths, like polyps, or other structural problems.

Videostroboscopy

Videostroboscopy uses an endoscope, microphone and flashing strobe light. This test records the microscopic vibrations of your vocal cords when you speak or make sounds. This lets us watch your vocal cords vibrate to see how well they work.

Meet Our Voice Therapy Team

At Cleveland Clinic, we believe in a team approach to care. We handpick a care team of different providers from different specialties, depending on your needs. Your voice care team could include:

• Otolaryngologists.
• Speech-language pathologists.
• Voice therapists.
• Allergists.
• Neurologists.
• Gastroenterologists.
• Endocrinologists.
• Pulmonologists.
• Psychologists.
• Psychiatrists.

These providers work together to make sure you get the most personalized care, from the moment you make your first appointment with us.

Ohio providers

• Michelle Adessa, BM, MS, CCC-SLP.
• Swathi Appachi, MD.
• Bethany Beckham, MA, CCC-SLP.
• Michael Benninger, MD.
• Paul C. Bryson, MD, MBA.
• Claudio F. Milstein, PhD, CCC-SLP.
• Rebecca Chota Nelson, MD.
• William Tierney, MD.

Florida provider

• Jennylee Diaz, MS, CCC-SLP.
• Laura M. Dominguez, MD.

Our experts offer voice therapy for a wide range of voice disorders. We can help you whether you use your voice professionally or simply need help treating everyday voice problems. We may also recommend voice therapy before and after certain surgeries or as a treatment for neurological disorders. Treatments could include:

Vocal exercises

Your provider might recommend certain vocal exercises to help improve how your voice works. Humming or lip trilling can help you balance your breathing, voicing and resonance to make your voice clearer and stronger with ease. Doing these exercises regularly can improve the way your voice sounds and help prevent problems like a weak or raspy voice.

We can also help you learn how to control your diaphragm muscle to create good breathing support and how to relax the muscles around your voice box. And we coach you on different postures or body movements that can make it easier to use your voice.

Your voice therapist will work with you to choose the best exercises for your needs and help you practice them in a fun and enjoyable way.

Laryngeal massage and manipulation

During laryngeal manipulation, we manually move your larynx and the muscles around it. This technique reduces muscle tension, restores muscle balance and improves your voice quality. It’s a noninvasive procedure and you may see results right away.

Vocal hygiene

Good vocal hygiene is an important part of voice therapy, especially if you use your voice professionally. We encourage you to stay hydrated, not smoke, rest your voice often and avoid anything that dries or irritates your throat or voice box.

Gender-affirming voice therapy

You may choose to have gender-affirming voice therapy if you want your voice to align better with your gender identity. Voice therapy in place of or after voice feminization surgery or voice masculinization surgery can help you get your desired:

• Vocal pitch (how high or low your voice is).
• Articulation (how your lips, tongue and teeth shape sound).
• Resonance (how your throat shapes sounds).
• Speech rate (how fast or slow you speak).

We personalize voice therapy to your needs and goals. We want you to feel comfortable using your voice and communicating in a way that reflects your true self. Our goal is to make your inner and outer voice connect in a way that works best for you.

Taking the Next Step

Voice therapy can help treat a voice disorder. It can help your professional voice stay strong. Or it can help you feel more like yourself when you connect with the world around you. No matter why you choose to have voice therapy, Cleveland Clinic’s skilled healthcare providers are here to help you meet your goals — and find your true voice.