The aim of voice therapy is to eliminate or improve problems with the creation of vocal sounds (phonation) in the larynx (voice box). After completing therapy, your voice should be stronger and sound like it did before. Voice therapy can also be used for prevention, to train your voice in order to avoid such problems altogether. Voice therapy includes various individually tailored exercises that can be learned from a speech therapist, voice coach or respiratory therapist. In Germany, statutory health insurers typically cover the costs of voice therapy if it is necessary and has been prescribed by a family doctor or an ENT specialist.
When you make sounds, air moves through your lungs and into your windpipe (trachea) and voice box. Inside of your larynx are two vocal cords (also called vocal folds). These flexible muscles vibrate as air passes through them. The vibrations produce the sound waves that are your voice. Typically, your vocal cords vibrate together to produce a clear sound. Vocal disorders occur when your vocal cords vibrate out of synch or don’t fully open or close. Pitch refers to how high or low your voice is. The size and the length (tension) of your vocal folds affect pitch.
As a preventive measure, voice therapy can help you learn healthy ways to use your vocal cords. Therapy helps prevent problems like hoarseness, laryngitis and lesions that commonly affect singers and people who speak a lot in their jobs. Voice therapy can also help heal vocal cord swelling and small vocal cord lesions by promoting better vocal cord vibration. It’s also used to help vocal cords heal after surgery. There aren’t any downsides or risks to participating in voice therapy.