By: Angela Duan, Clare Larochelle, and Valeria Canizares When patients come to a speech-language pathologist (SLP) complaining of a “hoarse voice”, they are sometimes surprised to learn that personal behaviors may have contributed to their dysphonia. Phonotrauma is defined as “trauma to the laryngeal mechanism (vocal folds) as the result…
By: Jeni Leeps, Caitlin Montgomery, and Jennifer Rose Gonzalez What are Vocal Function Exercises? Vocal Function Exercises (VFE) are therapeutic tasks used to strengthen and increase coordination of the muscles of voice production. VFE was originally developed by Dr. Joseph Stemple. The treatment protocol for VFE is broken into three…
By: Amanda Bostwick, Paige Nelson, and Sydney Simon It is now over a year since the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) a global pandemic. Many daily routines are now changed. Before you leave your home, you grab your keys, wallet, and now, your mask. Wearing a…
By: Alexis Tolentino, Grace Vernon, and Lindsey Watkins Many of your favorite celebrity singers, all the way from MTV to broadway, have one thing in common: vocal nodules. Beyonce, Adele, Mariah Carey, and more have all been afflicted at one point or another throughout their careers. But what are…
By: Julia Iszler, Heather Smythe, and Jingchen Xu Many people experience sensations of something stuck in their throat when they have acid reflex. Laryngopharyngeal Reflux (LPR) is when acid from the stomach travels all the way up the food pipe (esophagus) and into the throat and voice box (laryngopharynx).
