Vocal Dysfunction & Poor Posture

After going from a collegiate athlete to a working professional with a desk job, I was surprised when I started having breathing problems after working for a few years. I went to multiple doctors and ran different tests, but there was no straightforward cause. After a few years of continuous issues, it was discovered that my posture was a big part of my breathing issues. My forward head angle caused additional strain on my vocal cords, which influenced my vocal cord dysfunction and dysphonia. My tight hips and inactive glute muscles created a tightness in my diaphragm (and even some diaphragm spasms – fun!), which caused decreased breath support to my lungs resulting in asthmatic symptoms. I assembled my ‘team’ made up of physical therapists (including Denise), a breathing physical therapist, a mindfulness coach, a chiropractor, and an acupuncturist to help me get my posture on track and my body functioning better. Fixing my posture didn’t happen overnight – it took me thinking about it and making small changes everyday. I’m still working on it, but I’m happy that my breathing problems have gotten a lot better!.