Myofascial Release Therapy Augments the Effect of Voice Therapy in Patients With Cervicalgia
Year: 2025
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: OBJECTIVES: To analyze the synergistic effects of myofascial release physical therapy (MFRPT) and voice therapy (VT) in reducing symptom severity for patients diagnosed with cervicalgia and associated functional laryngeal conditions. METHODS: This retrospective analysis included adult patients with cervicalgia and functional laryngeal conditions-muscle tension dysphonia (MTDa), muscle tension dysphagia (MTDg), chronic cough (CC), or globus sensation (GP)-at a tertiary care center. Patients received MFRPT, VT, or a combination of both (VT + MFRPT). Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) assessed symptom severity before and after therapy and included the Voice Handicap Index-10 (VHI-10), Reflux Symptom Index (RSI), Laryngopharyngeal Measure of Perceived Sensation (LUMP), Dyspnea Index (DI), Cough Severity Index (CSI), and Dysphagia Handicap Index (DHI). RESULTS: Eighty-seven patients were analyzed. 74.7% were female, and the mean age was 55.8 (SD = 16.3). Treatment groups included MFRPT (n = 41), VT (n = 26), and VT + MFRPT (n = 20). Statistically significant improvements were observed in VHI-10 (p = 0.006), RSI (p = 0.007), and LUMP (p = 0.04) scores for VT only. MFRPT only had a statistically significant improvements in RSI (p = 0.04). VT + MFRPT yielded significant improvements across all PROMs and provided additional benefit over VT only for RSI (p = 0.02), LUMP (p = 0.03), DI (p = 0.008), and CSI (p = 0.02). CONCLUSION: Combining MFRPT with VT demonstrates superior efficacy in treating cervicalgia and related laryngeal symptoms compared to VT only. Significant improvements across multiple PROMs suggest this integrated approach effectively addresses diverse patient symptoms.
Source: The Laryngoscope
DOI: 10.1002/lary.32422
Authors: Megan R. Gillespie, Mady Williams, Benjamin Casey, Mark R. Gilbert
Institution: University of Missouri
Language: English
Topic: Voice and Speech Disorders
Subfield: Physiology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W4412487186