How does Physiotherapy Support Recovery from Voice and Swallowing Injuries?

voice and swallowing injuries

We use our voice and swallowing muscles every single day, often without even thinking about it. Voice and swallowing problems can show up in ways you don’t expect. You might feel pain when speaking, notice your voice getting tired or have trouble swallowing food comfortably. These issues may also come with jaw pain (TMJ pain), neck tightness and headaches, making everyday talking and eating feel effortful and uncomfortable.  

Physiotherapy is not just for sports injuries, it can also support recovery from voice and swallowing injuries and dysfunction. It helps decrease pain, release tight and overused muscles and target the muscular components of your voice and swallowing to make it easier and less effortful.

Voice and swallowing injuries are more common than many people realise and they don’t just affect singers or public speakers.

What Causes Voice and Swallowing Injuries?

Our voice and swallowing mechanism has a large muscular component that is coordinated to produce our voice. Our voice is produced via our laryngeal mechanism with the intrinsic laryngeal muscles and vocal cords coordinating to produce our voice. Our swallowing is comprised of a complex coordination of the mouth, jaw, tongue muscles and muscles of mastication. These parts synchronise with the pharynx to swallow whatever you may be eating or drinking.  For both vocalising and swallowing our tongue muscles and pharyngeal muscles are working.

When the synchronisation of these muscles and areas are not coordinated due to pain, muscular strain, surgery or even stress this can mean that your voicing and swallowing can become effortful.  In day to day life, these causes may come from 

  • Overuse of the voice (especially in jobs that involve talking all day in loud or difficult environments)
  • Muscle tension in the neck or jaw
  • Neck pain or nerve pain
  • Reflux or throat irritation
  • Post-surgical effects
  • Accidents or trauma to the face, head, or neck

How Physiotherapy Can Help in Recovery?

1. It decreases tension in the laryngeal muscles, jaw and neck

Many people don’t realise how much neck, face and jaw (TMJ)  pain can affect their voice and swallowing. Neck dysfunction, tightness in the jaw, and rounded shoulders (shoulder tension) can place the laryngeal mechanism (larynx) and temporomandibular joints (TMJ) in a position where the muscles don’t work efficiently for speaking and easy swallowing.

Jaw pain

Treatment of the larynx and jaw pain involves not only muscular release but also showing you how to sit correctly and breathe more efficiently.  Often, it may require focusing on specific muscles around your larynx (throat) and jaw that require treatment and re-education to release the tension.

2. Helps in restoring natural muscle use

When muscles are overworked or injured, they may start to move and activate in a compensatory pattern. Your body might try to compensate by using additional muscles to get the job done, which sets up a maladaptive voice and laryngeal cycle that can add to more muscular strain.  

Physiotherapy can assist breaking this compensatory pattern for both voice and swallowing and this involves retraining of  breath control, postural support, and techniques to set up your neck to use your voice more efficiently.

3. Working Alongside Your Recovery Plan

If you’ve had surgery or been working with a speech therapist, physiotherapy works hand in glove with your speech pathology rehabilitation to aid your recovery. Your physiotherapy program complements the work you’re already doing.

4. Making Everyday Life Easier Again

One of the best parts of any injury rehabilitation is getting back to the small joys of life. Being able to laugh without discomfort, speak on the phone without your voice fading, or enjoy a meal without worrying about how your throat feels means that it’s the little things that make a big difference.

Physiotherapy brings you back to those moments and your physiotherapist will work together with you providing you with at-home exercises and day to day strategies to assist your larynx, and jaw feeling more free and this will allow you to complete your speech exercises to improve your voice.

Ready to Feel Better? Let’s Start Your Recovery Today

Voice and swallowing injuries can build up gradually but they don’t have to stick around. With the right kind of support, including physiotherapy, your recovery can get on the right track and your physiotherapist will be there to support you. 

If you’re experiencing voice discomfort, jaw pain, or trouble swallowing, don’t wait for it to get worse.  Seek help via your GP and Speech Pathologist and our  team at Performance Medicine will work with them to help you recover with care and confidence. Book an appointment today to start your injury rehabilitation and take the first step towards feeling better.

Categories :