4. Alternative therapies

Oh, how I wanted a pill that would cure me of this ever-present voice disorder. The hope for a medicine cure probably comes from both the abundance of pharmacists/ pharmaceutical company employees in our family and the hope for an easy fix. Conversely, I was skeptical of medication such as Botox for a few reasons. It’s a toxin, one that is a temporary remedy and needs to be repeated every few months (if it works) to help relieve the laryngeal spasms. I’ve read about people who’ve had some disastrous side effects, as the Botox injections might effect other muscles in the throat area. 

Adding to my skepticism was my experience with hormone replacement therapy. I went through menopause early, at age 45, and began taking hormone replacement therapy at that time to prolong the effects that menopause would eventually have.  Eight years later, the medical study came out which told of the possible effects of HRT on women’s physical health (specifically the heart, and cancer). I stopped taking HRT, and just coped with menopause in my early 50’s. When Botox was suggested by doctors, I couldn’t help but wonder if there will be a study telling us of the long-term effects of Botox. Since this is not a life-threatening condition, I decided to explore alternative therapies first. Thanks to the suggestions of family and friends, I began my various attempts with alternative practitioners.

Functional Kinesiologist

I sincerely believe in the interconnectedness of our mind and body and want to find someone who can approach voice disorders in a holistic perspective. Thus, the recommendation of a functional kinesiologist was a hopeful lead.  This practitioner had never worked with someone with spasmodic dysphonia, but was willing to try to help me. These visits incorporated some cranial adjustments, muscle testing and even some massage therapy. I began taking the prescribed nutritional supplements and had allergy testing. This testing for food allergies/sensitivities through blood tests showed a number of significant allergens. I changed my diet and eliminated certain foods, which had never bothered me before. Again, lots of money was spent, but after a few months, I didn’t see any changes in my voice problem from the adjustments, supplements nor change in diet. My doubt was reinforced when I spoke with a friend who is a nutritionist and knew of this practitioner. She, too,  questioned many of the recommendations. Other than my voice disorder, I was feeling fine, so I chose not to continue with this therapy.  

Voice Doctor: Following online research, then watching his DVD and listening to a tape, I had a consultation with Morton Cooper.  Dr. Cooper is not a medical doctor, but his specialty is speech and vocal disorders. I was heartened by his past experience with spasmodic dysphonia patients. He talked about correct breathing, reverse breathing and the necessity for concentrated therapy. His perspective is on the mechanics of speech, that this is not a neurological problem and how the ENT medical community does not support his success. With the hope that his success with others would also include me, I went to him for long therapy sessions. The therapy sessions focused on vocalizations and breathing techniques yet were tedious and very costly. After about 6 weeks, I chose to stop these voice therapy sessions as I wasn’t feeling/hearing much difference. 

Acupuncturist

I had never had acupuncture before, but was very open to this recommendation. For years I had read about and used some forms of acupressure, and believed in its premise. So, I met with an acupuncturist, who, though she had never worked with someone with spasmodic dysphonia before, was willing to see if it helped. I had a number of sessions, even with electrical current , and sometimes felt generally better for a short time afterwards. But, again, there was no difference in my voice. The chi was flowing, but my voice wasn’t working.

Breathing musically

I’ve never been musical (except singing with young children who don’t mind if you can’t sing) but one of my favorite instruments has been the harmonica. It must go back to my Chicago roots. As I considered my breathing in relation to my voice, I thought that maybe doing something like playing the harmonica might help.  I already had one harmonica, and another one came with a ‘how to play the harmonica’ DVD. As I began playing, my 3-year old granddaughter showed interest, so we became a duo. I put on blues music and we play the harmonica. Great fun, but there was no difference with my breathing and voice.  Perhaps playing the blues is better than feeling it with this problem.

Next: Seeing another specialist, in search of an answer….