Preventative Vocal Health Visit: Why All Vocal Professionals Need One

Vocal professionals, be they singers, actors, boardroom executives, teachers, or really anyone who uses their voice as a part of their daily work, place a lot of demands on their voice. What people often fail to realize, though, is that just like any other body part, the voice box is susceptible to injury if it is overused, not properly maintained, or pushed beyond its limits.

The Importance of Injury Prevention for Vocal Athletes

Most athletes, whether pros or weekend warriors, understand the importance of good habits for injury prevention. They do warmups and cooldowns, give time for rest and recovery, and listen to their body when something starts to ache. As it turns out, your voice is no different! Your larynx (voice box) is a complex structure made up of muscles, joints, ligaments, and connective tissues that are susceptible to strain and injury. This is why people in the Voice Care community are now commonly referring to vocal professionals as “vocal athletes”.

Preventative Vocal Health Visit

This is where the Preventative Vocal Health Visit comes in! When you schedule a Preventative Vocal Health Visit with Dr. Rafii, you will receive all of the same services as a Comprehensive Voice Evaluation, but with a special focus on injury prevention. During your visit, we will:

• Perform a Baseline Videostroboscopy Exam of your vocal cords to know where things currently stand
• Work with Dr. Rafii to assess what your unique professional vocal demands are
• Identify areas that may be placing your voice at risk
• Come up with strategies to keep your voice safe and prevent overuse injury
• Give you the confidence to keep doing what you do at the highest level

If you’re wondering what a Baseline Videostroboscopy Exam is, don’t worry–our next blog post will be dedicated to just that! In a nutshell, it gives us a reference point for how your vocal cords are doing before any issues are present, and also can catch any brewing issues early before they become serious.

When Should I Get a Preventative Vocal Health Visit?

If you are a vocal professional, the answer is right now! Consider this part of your health maintenance routine. Specific situations that you should consider a Preventative Vocal Health Visit include:

• A routine yearly visit, to ensure you are staying on track with your vocal health
• Prior to taking on a new project that requires increased voice use
• For vocal performers: prior to going on tour, a big show, or a heavy recording session