Power of Recovery**
The sneezing and coughing that accompanies the common cold, can wreck havoc on our vocal fold tissues. However, low impact vocal exercises may actually assist in the healing process.
The initial response to injury is inflammation. Blood, proteins and antibodies flood the tissue causing edema, or swelling.
White blood cells called neutrophils, are first responders to an injury. They destroy bacteria and other debris. Macrophages help clear out the wound, stimulating new cellular production.
Protein is a building block of cell repair, and in the second phase of healing, usually within 3-5 days of the injury, fibroblasts start to synthesize new tissue, which is initially scar tissue. As the protein synthesis slows, remodeling of new healthy tissue begins.
For singers, scar formation is not optimal, therefore it is important to control the healing response to eliminate the possibility of scar tissue and proceed towards a healthy creation of new tissue. On-going research has shown that low intensity vocal exercises increase cortical levels, reducing inflammation. Vocal stretches such as sirens, may limit protein build up and increase the transport of oxygen to the tissue, decreasing the chance of scarring. Low level vocal warm-ups may also orient new fibers into a model that will serve long-term functionality.
** Summer Vocology Institute; Titze, I. and
Verdolini, K. 2002