Voice Therapy for Singers with Dysphonia

Abstract

Voice therapy is a tool for treating voice disorders in singers. It has been widely accepted as a valid method for improving singing voice disorders worldwide. However, despite its wide acceptance for singers with dysphonia, little research exists to support the utility of voice therapy for singers with dysphonia as an intervention with measurable treatment outcomes. A forward focused voice has long been used in voice clinics throughout the world as a therapeutic approach for singers and nonsingers with dysphonia to reduce excessive tension on the vocal tract and facilitate a resonant voice quality and vocal fold vibration. However, the effects of a forward focused voice in singers compared to nonsingers with dysphonia have not been sufficiently evaluated. The current review evaluated the vocal tract function and voice quality in singers and nonsingers with dysphonia after undergoing therapy with a forward focused voice.