World Voice Day: Celebrating the Experts Behind Healthy Voices
This World Voice Day, we want to highlight the numerous vocal health professionals committed to helping singers, speakers, and everyday voice users maintain optimal vocal performance. From comprehensive medical evaluations to personalized voice therapy and coaching, there are a multitude of professionals who have devoted their careers to help support and connect through voice.
What Should You Expect When Visiting a Voice Doctor?
There is unfortunately a huge amount of variability in standards of “voice doctors.” The vague term "voice doctor" can apply to a general ENT or a sub-specialized laryngologist. A laryngologist is the only professional who is fully trained and capable of caring for professional voice users. A comprehensive evaluation for a pro voice user is one that is performed by a a subspecialized laryngologist with their dedicated voice therapist.
The Two Pillars of Quality Voice Care
A complete voice evaluation should be rooted in two fundamental components:
Laryngology Evaluation (Medical Assessment)
Voice Therapy (Functional Assessment and Rehabilitation)
Laryngology Evaluation: The Medical Foundation
What Is a Laryngologist?
A laryngologist is an ENT (ear, nose, and throat) physician who has undergone an additional full year of advanced subspecialty fellowship training focused on the larynx—the voice box. These experts are uniquely qualified to diagnose and treat conditions that affect your vocal cords and surrounding structures.
Components of a Comprehensive Laryngology Exam
Voice History Interview:
Your evaluation begins with an in-depth discussion about your voice usage, history, and any challenges you’ve experienced. This allows the specialist to understand your vocal demands, previous injuries, and training background. This should include tasking (listening to your performance voice live or recorded) to best understand your vocal function.
General ENT Examination:
A full ENT exam evaluates the health and function of the head and neck structures. Often, the overall wellness of these structures is closely linked to vocal health.
Advanced Imaging with Rigid Stroboscopy:
This state-of-the-art technique uses a telescope-like device that gently enters the mouth to capture high-definition, slow-motion images of your vocal cords. Stroboscopy is critical for detecting subtle vocal fold issues—ranging from nodules and polyps to granulomas or even more serious conditions.
Flexible Laryngoscopy:
A flexible camera inserted through the nose enables a dynamic assessment. During this part of the exam, you may be asked to perform complex vocal tasks or even sing to assess how your voice functions under stress. This is especially important for singers who must understand how their voice behaves during performance. This is the most common exam done by ENTs but is not sufficient for vocal cord health evaluation. That requires stroboscopy.
Voice Therapy: The Functional Approach to Vocal Health
Who Is a Voice Therapist?
A voice therapist is typically a speech-language pathologist (SLP) who has received specialized training in voice therapy. These professionals are essential for guiding you through rehabilitation, correcting vocal habits, and optimizing voice function, whether you’re recovering from an injury or striving for peak performance.
Key Aspects of a Comprehensive Voice Therapy Evaluation
Voice Sample Collection:
Using industry standard equipment, both speech and singing samples are recorded. These recordings allow the therapist to analyze subtle aspects of your vocal technique, uncovering issues that might not be evident during a casual conversation.
Analysis and Discussion:
Together, you and your voice therapist review the recorded samples. This collaborative process helps identify any compensatory or harmful vocal techniques you may have developed over time.
Crafting a Personalized Treatment Plan:
With insights from both the voice samples and the laryngologist’s imaging, the voice therapist designs a targeted trial therapy plan. This customized approach addresses existing pathology while also working to prevent future vocal issues. Laryngeal massage and other therapeutic techniques are critical to recovery.
Expanding the Team: Additional Vocal Health Professionals
Beyond the Doctor’s Office
While the team of laryngologists and voice therapists forms the core of vocal health care, there are other professionals who play a vital role in your vocal journey:
Vocal Coaches and Singing Instructors:
These experts focus on technique and performance. They guide you in using your voice effectively and efficiently, helping you apply the medical and therapeutic advice practically. Vocal coaches provide essential support by teaching healthy singing practices and performance techniques that can complement clinical interventions. They are often first "on the scene" when an artist is struggling and should interface closely with the laryngologist and voice therapist.
Specialized Otolaryngologists/ENTs:
Some ENT physicians have sub-specialty training in other aspects of head and neck medicine. These professionals may address overlapping issues—such as allergies and sinus disease—that can also impact voice quality.
Neurologists:
In cases where the vocal issues have a neurological component a neurologist may be part of your multidisciplinary team. Their expertise ensures that any nerve-related contributions to your vocal challenges are properly addressed.
Why a Multidisciplinary Approach Matters
For professional voice users, the quality and consistency of care are non-negotiable. A standardized, multidisciplinary approach ensures that subtle issues are not only correctly diagnosed but also effectively treated. The collaboration between laryngologists, voice therapists, and other vocal experts serves to provide comprehensive care tailored to your unique voice needs.
This teamwork is especially important given that many of us rely on our voices not merely as a means of communication but as an essential part of our identity and livelihood.
Celebrating World Voice Day
This World Voice Day, we invite you to explore the full spectrum of vocal health professionals dedicated to keeping your voice in peak condition. Whether you are a professional singer, teacher, or someone who simply values vocal well-being, understand that the best care comes from a cohesive team of experts committed to your vocal excellence.
By demanding and expecting a high standard of care, you contribute not only to your own voice’s health but also to the collective awareness of what quality voice care should be. Let’s celebrate our voices and the professionals who support them—today and every day.
For more resources or to schedule a consultation, please visit our website or contact our center directly. Happy World Voice Day!
