5 Ways to Reduce Muscle Tension Dysphonia for Singers

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5 Ways to Reduce Muscle Tension Dysphonia for Singers

Muscle tension dysphonia (MTD) is a voice disorder that occurs when the muscles around the larynx are overly tight during singing, leading to symptoms like a hoarse or breathy voice. It is often seen in individuals who use their voice frequently, such as singers, and can result from stress, improper vocal techniques, or excessive vocal demands. It can also be a side effect of neurological disorders such as Lyme or xx that affect the voice.

Combined functional voice therapy is the primary and most efficacious treatment for singers with Muscle Tension Dysphonia (MTD), proven to significantly improve vocal tract function, palpation, and singing range.  This approach integrates direct techniques (vocal exercises, breathing, phonation) with indirect methods (vocal hygiene, stress management, and manual therapy) to rebalance the respiratory and laryngeal subsystems. 

The Cole Vocal Method has helped many singers recover their voices as our methodology is based in vocal health and true vocal pedagogy, which protects and preserves the voice improving vocal longevity. 

Click here to: Learn more about the Cole Vocal Method

Here’s a quick outline of the topics covered in today’s blog:

• Vocal Therapy 
• Vocal Massage and Laryngeal Manipulation 
• Jaw Release Work (Leeann Rimes – human garage) 
• Craniosacral Therapy 
• Acupuncture 

Let’s dive in!

1. Vocal Therapy

MTD occurs when the vocal cords aren’t functioning correctly, and muscles that shouldn’t be involved in phonating start to squeeze and cause tension.

Treatment of MTD for singers involves identifying triggers related to medical conditions, emotional situations, or vocal habits. Voice therapy can help to establish healthy vocal patterns without inappropriate muscle involvement.

Try this:  

• Fix placement in speaking voice. The speaking voice can cause more problems and MTD can persist. Replacing the speaking voice, getting out of the throat, eliminating glottals and vocal fry, talking a big higher will help. 
• Vocal therapy for singers
• Cooldown therapy for singers. Exercises that reduce inflammation on the vocal folds helps tremendously. 

Learn more here: Vocal Rescue Kit: Vocal therapy, cooldowns and speaking exercises

2. Vocal Massage and Laryngeal Manipulation

Vocal massage and laryngeal manipulation can help alleviate muscle tension dysphonia (MTD) by promoting relaxation in the muscles surrounding the larynx, improving vocal quality and reducing strain. These techniques often lead to immediate improvements in vocal function and can be part of a broader therapeutic approach for individuals with high vocal demands.

Manual Therapy and Massage: Laryngeal manipulative therapy (LMT) and circumlaryngeal massage are critical for relaxing the extrinsic laryngeal muscles and promoting relaxation in the muscles surrounding the larynx, improving vocal quality and reducing strain.  Many singers report success with laryngeal massage, using vibrators, or receiving full-body massages to release tension in the neck, shoulders, and back. These techniques often lead to immediate improvements in vocal function and can be part of a broader therapeutic approach for individuals with high vocal demands.

Try this:  

Vocal Massage #1: Laryngeal massage 

Vocal massage helps to soothe the throat muscles and reduces strain in the vocal instrument. This vocal massage will help decrease tension in your throat and will help too reduce hoarseness that accumulates from over-singing or generalized tension.

• Place your thumb and forefingers at the sides of your throat gently with the pads of your fingers on either side. 
• Gently move the throat back and forth side to side. 
• The laryngeal muscles are all soft cartilage that should easily slide back and forth horizontally in the throat. 
• Gently massage the throat back and forth to relax and gently stretch out the throat muscles to decrease tension pre-performance.
• This motion helps to relax and open the throat before singing. 
• If your throat muscles feel tight, it is not unusual, but it is an indication that you need to work on releasing the throat muscles in this area. Regular self-massage will help. 
• Consider seeing a vocal masseuse or look for an LMT therapist near you.

3. Jaw Release Work

The jaw holds so much. Every time we are angry, that we don’t express ourselves, or when we protect from impact the jaw tightens. When the jaw is tight the entire body tightens from head to toe.

Jaw release techniques can be effective for managing TMJ disorder (TMD) by relieving muscle tension and pain in the jaw. These techniques often involve specific exercises targeting the masseter muscle, which is commonly tight in TMD cases.

Key Techniques

• Self-Massage
  • Location: The masseter muscle is located below the cheekbone, about halfway between the mouth and ear.
  • Method: Use two or three fingers to apply pressure in circular motions on the masseter muscle. This helps release muscle knots and tension.
• 60-Second Jaw Circles Release Technique
  • Method: This self-massage technique combines sustained pressure with gentle circular movements on the masseter muscle to relieve tension.
  • Provides immediate relief from jaw pain and tension, making it a quick solution for acute discomfort.
• Chin Tucks: Improves posture and reduces jaw muscle tension
• Physical Therapy is an effective treatment for jaw release to improve MTD. Leeann Rimes recently experienced a huge release of emotional stored tension working with Human Garage practitioners on her jaw muscles. https://www.instagram.com/reels/DWd3xbbDUIm/

4. Craniosacral Therapy

Craniosacral Therapy is particularly helpful when releasing deep tensions that are hard to solve. Particularly when it comes to the voice. 

Craniosacral Therapy (CST) is a manual technique that detects and releases restrictions in the body’s fascia and cranial bones, directly benefiting singers by freeing the jaw, neck, and diaphragm.  Research indicates that CST addresses physical obstructions like trauma-induced tension in the mandible, temporals, and sphenoid, which are crucial for flexible articulation and breath support. 

Intra-oral craniosacral therapy specifically targets deep intra-oral muscles such as the infra-hyoids, retro-hyoids, and tongue, alongside cranial bones, to realign the jaw and restore balance.  For singers, this therapy can overcome limitations that pure vocal training cannot solve, particularly when tension stems from structural issues like a difficult birth or chronic TMJ dysfunction.

Therapists report that releasing tension in these areas improves resonance, range, and ease of articulation, while reducing pain and stiffness in the jaw and neck. 

Evidence: Case studies and interviews with singers suggest that CST helps resolve jaw locking, clicking, and chronic tightness that often migrates into the tongue and neck, leading to a more relaxed and free vocal instrument.

Try seeing a Craniosacral therapist to help release the jaw to help release deeper tensions related to MTD.

5. Acupuncture

I have helped many singers who worked with acupuncture, and experienced great benefits for my own voice.

Acupuncture combined with voice training has been identified as the most effective approach for treating Muscular Tension Dysphonia (MTD) in singers, outperforming either treatment used alone.  A 2023 randomized clinical trial involving 108 patients found that this combination significantly improved voice function, reduced anxiety, and increased oxygen saturation levels in the laryngeal muscles more than voice training or acupuncture monotherapy.

Look for a local acupuncturist in your area to help.

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This post helps you get started, but it’s only the beginning. What would it feel like to finally reach your vocal potential and feel an actual transformation in your voice in 8 weeks? Come join the thousands of singers who have already transformed their voice and vocal health with the Cole Vocal Method™. Set your voice free in only 20 minutes a day with these transformative vocal techniques found only here! Click here to find out more.

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