International EILO/ILO Conference, Morning Vocal Warmup Strategy, and PYV!

International EILO/ILO Conference...

STILL ON A CONTINUING ED HIGH after attending the 5th Annual International Airway and Breathing Conference in Denver!!!!!! OhmyGOSH I ABSOLUTELY LOVED this conference and EVERYTHING about it. 

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When I first heard about this event/meeting a few months back, (first off) I was SO excited about an AIRWAY(only)-SPECIFIC conference, but (secondly) I was also slightly surprised/confused how I hadn’t heard about this awesome opportunity the first FOUR YEARS (?!) of its existence (because I feel like I’m pretty obsessed with continuing education and thought that I would’ve known about this!).. buuuut I came to find out that this conference was held in NORWAY every year until this one! SO grateful it was in the US this year and that I got to experience it. 

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I see a LOT of airway-related patients and I am VERY passionate about this patient population as well (Breathing IS Life…). This conference covered everything related to airway-related conditions (inducible laryngeal obstruction/ILO, exercise induced laryngeal obstruction/EILO, breathing pattern disorder/BPD, asthma, excessive dynamic airway collapse/EDAC, and irritable larynx) with a strong focus on ILO AND EILO including INTERNATIONAL perspectives from a wide variety of medical professionals (physicians, pulmonology, laryngology, SLPs, sports scientists, respiratory therapists, and a mental skills coach), AND patients as well! Format was a beautiful coordination of lectures, panels, interactive workshops, case studies, Q&A, and even dynamic examples of continuous laryngoscopy during exercise (CLE). AND I was SO excited that one talk involved the literal ESTABLISHMENT of a new international SOCIETY related to this specific condition (GIILO—Global Initiative for Inducible Laryngeal Obstruction) with a mission to form an independent global network of individuals and organizations committed to improving awareness of, and care of patients with ILO! The purpose of GIILO is to increase awareness of ILO among health professionals, health authorities, and the general public, (2) improve diagnosis, management and prevention, and (3) stimulate research. Andddd signed up and am now a member. I strongly believe in passionate individuals coming together to form and/or be a part of organizations and/or support groups… foundationally based in  collaboration and communication, as well as sharing PASSION, research, and experiences, in order to create the most optimal patient outcomes. 

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SO grateful for time WELL SPENT catching up with awesome colleagues, meeting many new ones, learning and growing professionally, being on a college campus again (!!!), being in the presence of so many incredible innovators within airway-related fields throughout the WORLD, and collaborating with like-minded passionate airway lovers. 

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CHEERS TO THIS AMAZING CONFERENCE AND CAN’T WAIT FOR THE NEXT ONE!!!

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See some pictures below and check out the video above for more insights from the conference!

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Morning Vocal Warm Up Strategy...

PS — DO YOU HAVE ONE?!
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Remember from the previous post that SOVTEs with two sources of vibration (dual source) may have a MASSAGING EFFECT on the vocal folds due to the fluctuations in intraoral pressure (Andrade et al., 2014)? A recent study (Keitz & McHenry, 2022) aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of either STEAM, SOVTE, or a combination of BOTH as a SPEAKING VOICE WARMUP strategy to be used at the START of the day. The authors hypothesized that the potential massaging effect would be useful during morning warm-up to facilitate the dissipation of fluid within the vocal folds.
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In the STEAM ONLY group, participants used a steam inhaler with the vents in their most open position. They were instructed to receive maximal steam, sit in a comfortable position, place their face over the mask and breathe calmly for three minutes; participants were also allowed to hover approximately 1 inch above mask. In the SOVTE ONLY group, the participants used a straw immersed 2 cm below the surface of water (the cup of water was filled up to a depth of ~10cm). Participants were instructed to blow bubbles through the straw and phonate on the /u/ (“ooooh”) sound using a comfortable pitch and loudness for one minute. After the first minute they were instructed to switch to producing comfortable pitch glides (using /u/) up and down the scale for the remaining two minutes. In the STEAM+SOVTE group, participants completed both conditions: three minutes of steam, and three minutes of the SOVTEs.
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There was variability in the results (each condition worked well for some participants and each condition was not helpful for some); past research on SOVTEs does demonstrate the idea that no single technique is appropriate for all patients (Keitz & McHenry, 2022). This highlights the importance of a variety of OPTIONS and understanding why or how specific exercises may or may not work for you. “Customizing the variables of the SOVTE maybe an important factor in maximizing its effects and optimizing laryngeal function (Keitz & McHenry, 2022). HOWEVER, data points DID SHOW that PTP (phonation threshold pressure) decreased while SPL (loudness) increased, indicating a possible improvement in VOCAL EFFICIENCY. Of the six data points where this trend was noted, FIVE included steam (three involved the steam only group and two involved the steam+SOVTE group). The study investigators state that this may point to the potential of STEAM to IMPROVE VOCAL EFFICIENCY.
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Soooooo, can you commit to a SIX minute vocal warmup in the mornings? SIX MINUTES!! You CAN. You’ve got that much time. We are talkin single digit minutes. You’ve got this. Wishing you improvements in VOCAL EFFICIENCY!!!!!

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#voxfit #voice #prioritizeyourvoice #pyv #sovte #healthyvoice #vocalhealth #vocalefficiency #vocalwellness #vocaldynamics #speechpathologist #voicespecialist #fitnessinstructor #research #prioritizeyourhealth #letsgo #occupationalvoiceuser #steam #vocaleconomy #vocalwarmup

Anddd of course, always REMEMBER to PRIORITIZE YOUR VOICE! ... 

How are YOU prioritizing your voice today? And everyday? As an OCCUPATIONAL VOICE USER, it SHOULD be one of your top priorities! 

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What do you need to know to keep your voice healthy?  You should understand how the voice works, how to protect and care for your voice, and how to use your voice and entire vocal mechanism in the most efficient, effective, and dynamic ways possible.  
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I’m super PASSIONATE about this population of voice users (I’m one and most of you are too!), and am HERE TO HELP! Reach out with any questions, concerns, or if you’d like to work together. Email me at [email protected] 

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#voxfit #voice #prioritizeyourvoice #healthyvoice #vocalhealth #vocalwellness #vocalefficiency #vocaldynamics #speechpathologist #voicespecialist #fitnessinstructor #prioritizeyourhealth #vocalinstrument #occupationalvoiceuser #sovte #semioccludedvocaltractexercises #vocalwarmup #research #vocaleconomy