I think we’ve all had an experience like this: you twist an ankle, sprain a wrist, or strain your knee. The orthopedist or physical therapist says: ice, elevate and use a brace or ace bandage to support the joint while it heals. We don’t usually argue; we just do what we’re told, and we get better.
So why is it that people don’t use the same logic when they injure their voice? Over our nearly 44 years in practice, we’ve encountered numerous clients who don’t want to follow recommendations like conserve the voice, stop yelling, increase hydration, and practice voice therapy exercises in short but frequent practice sessions. People actually argue with me about why they have to do these things. And in my own thorough “teacher-talk” fashion, I calmly explain the benefits of this regimen, vs the risks of not following it.
But recently I was working with a client for whom I needed to change tactics. My usual calm and well-thought-out explanations just weren’t working. I just couldn’t seem to convince this patient that practicing voice therapy exercises would help to return them to vocal health. Well, I couldn’t do it calmly! So in desperation, and with a tiny bit of redheaded crankiness, I said, “Look, you wouldn’t argue if you sprained your ankle badly, and your physical therapist said you needed to wear an ankle brace to get better. Well, think of these voice exercises, plus vocal hygiene, as a “voice brace”, and I’m your physical therapist, but for a different body part. So if you follow my recommendations, you’ll probably get your voice back.”
Well, something I said seemed to resonate (no pun intended) with this client, who responded, “I get it. Now that you explained it that way, I’m going to practice more diligently.” I was actually kind of amazed that this simple analogy really hit home for this client. And if this analogy helped one person, maybe it can help more people…like YOU!
A Sample “Voice Brace” for You
Here’s an example of a quick and easy “Voice Brace” routine to “support” your voice and get you back to vocal health:
- Upon waking up: climbing stretches, gentle yes/no/maybe stretch, laryngeal massage, etc. (2 minutes)
- While getting ready for work or school: steaming or misting with nebulized saline. (3-5 minutes); gargle sirens after you brush your teeth
- On the way to work or school: lip trills, hum, bubbles, or straw sirens. (5 minutes)
- Throughout the day: 1-2 minute “resets” every hour or two, using the same exercises as #3 above.
- At night: another steaming/misting and some easy hum sirens as a “cool-down: for the voice.
For your convenience, we made this into a downloadable graphic, which you can print out as a reminder sign for your “Voice Brace”.
Click here to download our PDF
There you have it: a few minutes here and there, during your regular activities of daily living, and you’re on your way to vocal healing. Don’t forget to hydrate, watch out for reflux-triggering foods and drinks, and avoid vocal abuses like talking over noise, yelling, and calling over a distance. If you follow this “brace” to support your voice, instead of a lifetime of vocal woes, you’ll be singing (and talking) beautifully really soon!
