Voice Lab

Introduction

One of the prime USPs of Juvekar Nursing Home is Dr. Juverlar’s Voice Lab. Very few ENT clinics in Mumbai have this unique facility of “Complete Voice Care” provided by a team of qualified voice care professionals.

In Dr. Juvekar’s Voice Lab, we have an efficient team comprising an experienced Voice Therapist who is also an SLR (Specialist in Laryngectomy Rehabilitation), an expert in Music for singers, a Voice Modulation Expert for patients from the oratory field and the team is headed by the eminent ENT surgeon Dr. Meenesh Juvekar.

Any voice change which persists for more than 5 days should not be taken lightly as it can be an indication of some laryngeal pathology including malignancy. Detailed laryngoscopic investigation along with complete voice analysis helps the team to decide the line of treatment for the patient with a given voice disorder.

Though there are some pathologic conditions that require urgent surgical intervention by the ENT surgeon, there are also some vocal cord pathologies and disorders which can be taken care of solely with Voice Therapy.

Our basic motive behind having a Voice Lab is to make maximum efforts to conserve voice non-surgically, to help post-operative patients to improve their voice quality, and to help the patient maintain and enhance that quality in the future.

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Treatment protocols in Dr Juvekar’s Voice Lab:

  • Laryngoscopic examination
  • Voice Analysis
  • Voice Therapy
  • Expert guidance for professional voice users
  • Surgery &/or Medical treatment if required
  • Post-surgery voice analysis and therapy

Voice therapy techniques are a well-designed, established, tried, and tested series of exercises meant for improving vocal efficiency, reducing excessive muscle tension if any, increasing muscle strength, improving breath support, and establishing good breathing patterns thereby restoring proper coordination between Resonatory, Vibratory and Respiratory systems of the vocal mechanism. The majority of vocal cord pathologies like vocal nodules, swollen cords, vocal polyps, vocal cyst, hemorrhagic cords, phonatory gaps, vocal paresis, etc. if detected early can be easily treated and voice be regained by voice therapy alone. Early intervention by an ENT surgeon or Voice Therapist is very important. Voice Therapy not only helps in taking care of the current pathology but also helps in preventing the recurrence of the same in future.

Therapy for professional voice users:

To have a Voice Expert as a faculty in every music or acting institute is a well-established concept abroad. It has recently started picking up in India as well, as now the awareness about voice problems in professional voice users is slowly increasing. We at Dr. Juvekar’s Voice Lab are also aiming towards giving the best professional help with a fully equipped voice care setup, to professional voice users which include singers, actors, politicians, voice-over artists, teachers, call centre employees, etc. It is only when they experience any voice trouble that they approach an expert. Our efforts at Juvekar’s Voice Lab are aimed at making these professionals aware that getting into such voice problems in themselves can be avoided by simple voice exercises and certain vocal care tips. We also help them enhance their voice quality.

Facilities at Dr Juvekar's Voice Lab:
  • Digital voice analysis facility
  • Specially designed vocal hygiene program
  • Electrolarynx dispensing
  • Prosthesis fitting for laryngectomy with voice rehabilitation
  • Electrical stimulation therapy
  • Vocal gym program for professional voice users
  • Expert guidance for professional voice users
Voice Therapy:

Intensity changes:

  • Very loud voice
  • Very soft voice
  • Feeble voice

Pitch changes:

  • Boy with girlish voice (Puberphonia)
  • Girl with thick low pitch voice
  • Pitch breaks

Quality changes:

  • Hoarseness
  • Harshness
  • Breathiness
  • Hypernasal/hyponasal voice
VOCAL HYGIENE

Has your voice gone from good to bad?? Do you want to make your voice sound better??? Then you need to follow these simple

  • Talk minimally if your voice is hoarse and see an ENT doctor
  • Avoid screaming, shouting, and yelling
  • Talk softly and in short sentences
  • Do not ignore any changes in your voice, see a specialist immediately
  • Follow medication as prescribed by your doctor, avoid self-medication
  • Give maximum rest to your voice, avoid vocal abuse and misuse
  • Drink water to stay hydrated and soothe throat irritation
  • Avoid vomiting, putting fingers in your mouth, and excessive throat clearing
  • Drink water frequently, aim for at least 3-3.5 liters per day
  • Avoid acidic and caffeinated food and drinks
  • Be cautious with cold food and beverages
  • Avoid very spicy or oily food when your voice is strained
  • Use alternate means of communication in noisy environments
  • Practice good neck and shoulder posture, relaxation exercises, and optimal breathing
  • Seek medical attention for allergies, acidity, and other health issues
  • Avoid heavy physical exercises involving strain on vocal cords
  • Protect yourself from smoke, dust, and allergens
  • Avoid laughing loudly and speaking in a harsh voice
  • Limit talking while traveling, and drink warm liquids
  • Avoid talking during exercise and using vocal sounds like 'hmm' or 'aah' while breathing heavily
  • Speak slowly, take pauses, and avoid holding your breath while talking
  • Keep articulators relaxed, avoid clenched teeth and half-closed mouth while speaking
  • Avoid mimicry, continuous low-pitch speaking, and making harsh sounds
  • Seek professional guidance if not trained in voice use
Apart form these instructions if you are a TRAINED VOICE PROFESSIONAL then you also need to take care of the following Do’s & Don'ts:
  • Learn vocal warm-up exercises from your voice therapist & do them before any vocal performance.
  • Give proper rest to your voice after every performance.
  • While performing (e.g. singing/acting/lecturing etc) as far as possible.
  • Avoid talking in a monotonous low pitched voice continuously for a longer duration.
  • Don’t clear your throat again & again.
  • Don’t cough to clear your throat.
  • Keep sipping water.
  • Avoid excessive speed.
  • Use your optimum pitch level/talk in a voice that is comfortable for you.
  • Avoid hard glottal attacks by giving excessive stress on words (hmm – aaah).
  • Do not force yourself for producing a very high-pitch or very low-pitch voice.
  • Get your laryngoscopic examination and voice analysis done every six months by experts.
  • Keep your neck, shoulder, back & chest muscles relaxed if you are singing at a different pitch level or while doing mimicry.
  • Strictly avoid all sorts of vocal abuses / vocal misuses & take maximum voice rest.
  • Bring out the necessary change in your voice only under the guidance of your music teacher or a trained voice modulation expert.
  • Try & reduce noise around you and see to it that the audience around you is quiet before you start talking, especially when in a group or crowd.
  • Use amplification whenever possible.