The Healing Process

Have a cold? Laryngitis? The healing process for the vocal fold tissues involves three primary stages: 1) inflammation 2) removal of dead cells and 3) rebuilding the tissue. However, the“scarring”phase of healing can be detrimental to phonation. The following vocal exercises help ward off scarring and reduce inflammation while stretching the vocal folds. They should be executed easily in the lower part of the range.

1) humming: mouth open inside for a hooty feel; do not tense the lips

2) tongue/lip trills: produces good airflow without too much pressure on the vocal folds

3) yawn-sighs: stretch the new fibers, strengthening them for future use

All these exercises are low intensity, low pressure and bring oxygen into the tissue to help prevent scarring and reduce edema.

Vocology: The Science and Practice of Voice Habitation. Ingo Titze & Katherine V. Abbott. National Center for Voice and Speech. 2012.