In this video, I will explain why you may be experiencing vocal strain and I will give
you three steps to finding more vocal freedom.
Hi!
I am Katarina, speech language pathologist and here on this channel, I share practical
tips about using your voice in a healthy way.
So, if this is a topic that interests you, consider subscribing to this channel and hitting
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If your voice gets easily tired, your throat feels tight, or if it hurts to talk, you may
be experiencing vocal strain.
In my 20+ years of experience, these are the most common complaints of people with vocal
strain or muscle tension dysphonia.
This change in the voice quality or in the feel of the voice is caused by excessive muscle
tension in and around the larynx, the voice box, or other places in the body that affect
the vocal function.
Vocal strain usually develops over a period of time.
It may start with an innocent laryngitis, or as a reaction to irritants, or after an
episode of yelling and screaming, or even as a stress-related response of the body.
Because of this initial cause, you may start relying or engaging other muscles to speak.
The way you use your voice during this initial period can then develop into a habitual motor
pattern that constantly invites constriction or involvement of other muscles that do not
need to work during speaking.
There may not be any structural changes on the vocal folds, but their function is altered
as time goes by.
And while the initial cause may be long gone, the voice changes remain because of the excessive
squeezing or tension that is now associated with the new way of using your voice.
Other very common complaints of people who experience vocal tension are: voice that sounds
rough, hoarse, gravelly or raspy, voice that is weak or breathy, voice that sounds strained,
pressed, squeezed, tight or tense, voice that “gives out” or fades away.
If you experience any of these symptoms, I know how frustrating it feels.
The one thing that everyone around us takes for granted - our voice - becomes unreliable
and every day you wake up not knowing how long your voice will last and how you can
fix this problem.
If that is you, just write ME in the comments below.
But there is a solution.
Let me give you three steps that are absolutely necessary to get rid of vocal strain.
Step #1 Visit a voice specialist
I’ve said this many times before but I still meet people asking for my help without visiting
a voice specialist first.
You cannot self-diagnose your vocal issues.
I cannot diagnose your vocal issues, even if you send me a recording of your voice.
Nobody can diagnose your vocal problem based on listening to your voice.
If you are experiencing vocal problems or changes in your voice that last for more than
2 weeks without the presence of an acute infection, such as cold or flu, make an appointment with
a voice specialist, which is an ENT doctor - ear, nose and throat doctor.
But there are different types of ENT doctors.
Talk to an ENT who specializes in voice problems.
This is the specialist who can properly assess your voice.
And I know that it may be challenging for many people to get such an appointment due
to various reasons but it is absolutely necessary to know what is happening with your vocal
folds.
Many different vocal problems sound or feel the same and the only way to know for sure
is to have someone look at them.
Step #2 Eliminate vocal tension
Many people accumulate muscle tension even before they say anything.
They may wake up with already tight muscles in their throat.
Or they create more tension as they speak throughout the day and by the end of the day,
the muscles are so tight that it is painful or even impossible to talk at all.
Therefore, it is good to have a set of exercises, vocal or silent, that can decrease muscle
tension from your body.
If you search my YouTUbe channel, you will find many videos in which I talk about these
techniques.
They can range from laryngeal massage and other types of manual releases to vocal exercises
that use straws or other types of semi-occluded vocal tract exercises to release tension from
the vocal folds.
I will post a few links to these free resources under the video.
If the reason for your vocal tension is related to stress and anxiety, then a daily meditation
for your voice is something that you can do to release tension from your throat.
This is a novel idea but it really works because meditation calms your nervous system, including
the vagus nerve which also innervates the larynx.
And research supports that because now we know that meditation or mindfulness practices
lead to positive changes in the tissue of the vocal folds.
Step #3 Build healthy voice use
As I said at the beginning, the voice use that leads to vocal strain or even pain has
motor patterns that cause the muscles to work too hard, inefficiently or unnecessarily.
Think of it like too many body parts are working excessively even if they don’t have to.
The only way to fix this problem is to learn to speak with efficient motor patterns again.
It is easily said but it takes time and dedication.
And it usually requires help from a professional, such as a voice therapist or a voice coach.
There is no quick fix for this step.
The approach I take with my clients is that we look at all of the possible sources of
tension in the body and then we learn how to control different parts of the voice independent
of all of the other structures.
For example, we train to move the true vocal folds independently of the tongue, jaw, and
the false vocal folds.
We train to use the articulation muscles without affecting the vocal fold closure.
We train to breathe without creating tension in your throat.
We train to move the larynx independently of the tongue.
Or we train to make louder sounds without taxing the vocal folds.
If you are experiencing vocal strain, tension or pain when speaking, and you are ready to
work towards a free, strong and confident voice, you can apply to our Vocal Freedom
System coaching program.
Check out the links in the description below this video.
These are three steps that are absolutely necessary on the way to finding a voice without
straining.
But of course there are more things to consider.
I made a video, in which I walk you through 7 steps that lead to a strong voice without
tension.
If you want to know what voice, body and mind considerations you need to take to truly free
your voice, click the link in the description below this video.
If you found this video helpful, click the like button and share it with your friends.
Check out my videos on how to release tension right here below.
I hope to see you soon.
Bye.