I have just been diagnosed with vocal nodules, or polyps (interchangeable) and the ENT I saw said I should see a Speech Pathologist. I, along with everyone I've spoken to, is skeptical about whether this is something that will work or not and I want to know what exactly speech therapy would entail for this as well as the outcome--will I end up having surgery anyway despite therapy?
Thanks

Hi luvyaca

Okay, there are lots of factors here. A speech pathologist/therapist will probably give quite a lot of advice about your lifestyle and habits. This may include the way you breath, how you use your voice in daily life, relieving stress, your diet etc etc. This advice alone, if adhered to, may make your voice a lot better. Depending on the nature of your problems you may undergo some therapy and be taught some techniques around breathing, posture and how to use your voice. This too, may help the problem go away. For some people however, the problem does not go away and they need surgery. However, after surgery, there is a likelyhood that the problem will re-occur if you do not deal with the underlying cause. I would suggest you see a speech therapist/pathologist, even for one visit to get their opinion and to get some advice about what you can do without having to resort to surgery to fix the problem.

Hope that helps.
Johan