Abstract
A 45-year-old female patient with muscle tension dysphonia (MTD) was treated by voice therapy with successful results. This case exhibited strained hoarseness in free conversation. Endoscopic laryngeal examination showed hyperadduction of the false vocal cords and anterior-to-posterior compression of the arytenoid cartilages toward the petiole of the epiglottis.
We used the resonance tube method as voice therapy to relax the muscle tension of the vocal cords. We also added carryover exercises with short phrases and sentences.
The results of vocal function examination after voice therapy showed improvement of MTD score, MPT, GRBAS scale etc. and also showed tendency toward higher respiratory pressure and MFR. Velopharyngeal function improved temporarily during phonation using the resonance tube, but did not improve noticeably after voice therapy.
This case, with velopharyngeal inadequacy, was able to raise intraoral pressure because of the heightened respiratory pressure and temporary improvement of velopharyngeal function, which enabled her to learn the feeling of relaxing the muscle tension of the vocal cords with the resonance tube method.
