Voice rehabilitation : the importance of speech therapy and scientific evidence
Voice speech therapy is aimed at the treatment of vocal disorders, such as dysphonia, which affect normal voice production and make it difficult to produce sounds with adequate intensity, pitch or timbre for effective communication. These disorders can have a significant impact on the social, professional and emotional life of adults who suffer from them.
Vocal speech therapy is the specialized therapeutic intervention in the evaluation and management of these disorders. Although the scientific literature in the field of voice still requires more robust and high quality studies, the available evidence indicates that voice therapy guided by a qualified professional improves vocal outcomes in adults with various voice disorders.
Scientific evidence on speech therapy of the voice
- Review of evidence on vocal interventions in adults
A recent review that compiled studies on voice interventions in adults found that voice voice therapy (including direct and indirect therapy) produces positive effects for voice rehabilitation although the methodological quality of the studies is variable.
- Randomized clinical trial in dysphonia
A controlled trial demonstrated that vocal therapy significantly improves voice quality in people with persistent dysphonia compared to those who did not receive treatment, as assessed by both observers and patients themselves.
- Voice therapy via telerehabilitation
Recent studies suggest that telerehabilitation may also be effective in improving voice parameters in patients with dysphonia, with significant improvement in acoustic measures and in the perception of the degree of dysphonia after the sessions.
- Non-invasive interventions in voice disorders
A comprehensive review of noninvasive treatments shows that multiple vocal therapy approaches (phonation exercises, breathing control, laryngeal support exercises, and functional strategies) are part of effective management of voice disorders.
What objectives does voice speech therapy address?
Speech therapy in voice search:
- Restore or improve vocal quality (reduction of hoarseness, murmur or strain).
- Optimize phonatory efficiency and respiratory coordination.
- Reduce associated symptoms such as vocal fatigue or pain.
- Facilitate functional strategies for daily communication.
These approaches are adapted to the etiology: functional dysphonia (due to voice misuse or abuse), organic (caused by laryngeal injury), psychogenic or related to neurological processes.
Conclusion
The available evidence, albeit with methodological limitations, suggests that voice therapy performed by a speech-language pathologist can improve vocal function. in adults with voice disorders. Controlled clinical studies and systematic reviews show positive effects, especially when the intervention is structured and guided. It remains important that future research further define the effects and mechanisms of each therapeutic approach.
- Evidence on Vocal Interventions in Adults: A Scoping Review. Journal of Voice. 2023.
- Is voice therapy an effective treatment for dysphonia? Randomised controlled trial, BMJ. 2001.
- Clinical effectiveness of telerehabilitation in voice therapy programs for dysphonia. PubMed. 2024.
- Noninvasive Management of Voice Disorders: An Umbrella Review. Journal of Voice. 2024.
