- Many things can place hurdles in front
of our vocal development.
Some of these challenges, such as feeling discouraged
or feeling complacent, can be overcome
with a little bit of determination and grit.
There are some hurdles however that can prove
to be somewhat more challenging than most.
Rheumatoid arthritis is one of those physical
conditions that can actually stand
in the way of your singing.
The good news for many sufferers of rheumatoid arthritis
is that it doesn't need to signal the end
of your singing journey.
Let's find out why.
- [Woman] Sound check.
(rock music)
Check one, check two.
- G'day, my name is Dr Dan, welcome back
to Voice Essentials, the channel where everybody sings.
Unfortunately, this statement is more easily applied
to some folks than others.
For those people who suffer from rheumatoid arthritis,
the desire to sing may well be challenged
by their physical condition.
If you suffer from arthritis, I don't need to tell
you how painful the condition can be.
But what you may not have accounted for is its impact
on your voice, specifically, the laryngeal mechanism.
When defining the inflammatory condition
known as rheumatoid arthritis,
Katherine Verdolini writes,
arthritis is a condition that may affect the joints
of the larynx, restricting their mobility.
In that case, vocal fold posturing is limited,
depending on the joints affected.
The limitation of the vocal fold posturing
is also known as Vocal Fold Hypomobility.
Dr Heman-Achak and Professor Sataloff suggest
that Vocal Fold Hypomobility may manifest with symptoms
that range from breathiness, vocal fatigue,
and decreased range to aphonia, aspiration,
and shortness of breath.
Professor Sataloff in his text, Vocal Health and Pedagogy,
further explains that rheumatoid arthritis
may produce not only disease of the cricoarytenoid
and cricothyroid joints, but also consequent
neuropathic muscle atrophy and rheumatoid nodules
of the larynx.
Rheumatoid arthritis with or without nodules
may produce respiratory obstruction.
The good news is that less than 30% of people
with rheumatoid arthritis present
with laryngeal involvement.
Of course, this is little comfort to those
who fall into the small group whose voice
does suffer from the disease.
So, let's now briefly discuss what can be done
to alleviate the symptoms and keep sufferers
of rheumatoid arthritis singing.
- [Woman] Central.
- When treating rheumatoid arthritis,
the ultimate goal is to reduce swelling,
and in doing so, reduce associated pain.
Typically, the medical profession will seek to achieve
this end with pharmaceuticals known as
non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
Your doctor may also combine your treatment
using disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs and biologics.
It is always prudent to discuss the side effects
of prescribed medications with your doctor and pharmacist.
For example, it's important to note
that many non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
like Daypro and Ibuprofen, decrease platelet function
during periods of strenuous voicing demands,
which can lead to an increased
possibility of vocal fold hemorrhage.
Massage therapy has also been shown to help
those who suffer from rheumatoid arthritis.
When seeking massage as a form of intervention
for your voice, I highly recommend finding
a physiotherapist or osteopath who specializes
in the manual therapy of the laryngeal structures.
Sufferers of rheumatoid arthritis also often
experience flare-ups.
These episodes of acute swelling and pain
typically necessitate reducing or stopping
altogether physical activities that might
further aggravate the condition.
Of course, this might mean you stop singing
for short periods of time.
Having worked with some singers over the years
with rheumatoid arthritis, anecdotally these flare-ups
can last for a few hours, to a few days to a few weeks.
My advice, if you are experiencing a flare-up,
and you know that your larynx is impacted by the disease,
then cease singing and wait until the flare-up passes.
Now it's also helpful to learn what triggers your flare-ups.
For example, some singers living with the disease
learn to limit their vocal practice length
and performance loads to ensure that the vocal activity
doesn't trigger swelling of the laryngeal joints.
Trial and error are good teachers if you're able
to listen to your body and take note
of what your personal triggers might be.
Other triggers of rheumatoid arthritis include poor sleep,
stress and infection such as the common cold and flu.
Do your best to mitigate all these potential triggers,
and you're more likely to be enjoying your singing
as opposed to dealing with possible flare-ups.
The important take away from today's video is
those suffering from rheumatoid arthritis
can continue to sing.
Yes, the disease may warrant an altered approach,
but in most cases, it shouldn't stop singing altogether.
If you're suffering from rheumatoid arthritis,
then I encourage you to be proactive in managing
your general symptoms and flare-ups.
I hope today's video has been helpful
and has encouraged those of you who are living
with rheumatoid arthritis.
If you've enjoyed today's video,
please hit the thumbs-up button,
and if you haven't already subscribed
to the Voice Essentials channel,
then allow me to invite you to join
our ever-growing community of singers
from across the globe who just like you want
to raise their voice in song.
I hope you'll take a moment to check out
the channel and subscribe.
But for now, I'll sign off.
I'm Dr Dan, sing well.