Spasmodic Dysphonia: Benefits of
Speech-Language Pathology Services
How effective are treatments for spasmodic dysphonia?
Speech-language pathology services alone are most helpful when
symptoms are mild. Techniques such as relaxation, breath control,
maintaining a steady flow of air from the lungs during voice
production, and pitch and loudness modifications can help improve
the person's voice.
Recent studies have shown that cutting of the recurrent
laryngeal nerve to paralyze one vocal cord appeared to reduce the
force of vocal cord closure. There was a return of voice symptoms
within 6 months to 3 years of surgery in almost two thirds of
these patients. Many patients were worse than before.
Speech-language pathology treatment was often recommended after
surgery.
ASHA has written a
treatment efficacy summary on voice disorders
[PDF] that describes evidence about how well treatment works.
This summary is useful not only to individuals with voice
disorders and their caregivers but also to insurance companies
considering payment for much needed services for voice
disorders.
What do SLPs do when working with individuals with spasmodic
dysphonia?
The
Preferred Practice Patterns for the Profession of Speech-Language
Pathology
outline the common practices followed by SLPs when engaging in
various aspects of the profession. The Preferred Practice
Patterns for voice assessment and intervention are outlined in
sections 34 and 35.
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See also:
Spasmodic Dysphonia
Spasmodic Dysphonia: Causes and Number