Lions Voice Clinic
Welcome to the Lions Voice Clinic of the University of Minnesota, where a team of professionals is dedicated to:
- Evaluating and treating voice disorders
- Researching all aspects of voice use
- Educating individuals about the human voice
- Providing a full range of state of the art voice care
- Specializing in treating singers, actors, and other professional voice users
Our History
In 1995, Dr. George Goding and Deirdre Michael (still working on her PhD) had been working together clinically for 4 years. Aware of the funding from the Lions 5M International for hearing-related projects in the Department of Otolaryngology, they wrote a grant proposal for a Lions-funded Clinical Laryngeal Physiology Laboratory. Their proposal asserted that if the Lions were interested in the “receptive” aspect of human communication (hearing), they might also be interested in the “expressive” aspect of human communication - the human voice. The Lions agreed, and the Lions Clinical Laryngeal Physiology Laboratory was created. This grant included the first equipment for stroboscopic examination of the vibrating vocal folds at the University, as well as equipment for acoustic analysis of the voice, all of which would bring the University of Minnesota up to the existing standard of the top voice clinics across the country. The new equipment allowed Drs. Goding and Michael to provide gold-standard clinical care for voice patients, as well as use the equipment for a variety of research projects. Their interdisciplinary care model, with a laryngologist (an ENT physician with a specialty in the larynx and voice disorders) and a speech-language pathologist who was also an active singing teacher and singer, attracted voice patients from the singing and acting communities across the state. Within several years, they had grown into a clinic with state and national recognition. Also, within a few years, they simplified the name to Lions Voice Clinic. Lions' funding increased and evolved to include support for the website, for clinical activities, data collection, and specific research projects. Lions Voice Clinic team members have also been involved in a variety of Lions 5M International charitable activities. At the Lions Voice Clinic, we are very proud of our long relationship with the Lions 5M International.
Today, The Lions Voice Clinic continues to grow, following our original mission of providing gold-standard clinical care, timely education to the lay and professional public regarding the human voice, and engaging in internationally-recognized research regarding the voice, larynx, and upper airway.
General Questions
Who Develops Voice Problems
Anyone, at any age.
- More likely to occur in individuals who use their voice extensively or strenuously
- May occur in individuals with limited voice
- May occur in individuals who used their voices extensively prior to retirement, and now have a reduced voice use (the voice can become de-conditioned.)
The Voice is Considered to Have a Disorder if:
- There is abnormal, or poor quality, sound
- The quality does not serve the voice needs of the individual
- There is fatigue, discomfort, or pain associated with voice use (even if the voice sounds normal)
- The voice cannot do what the individual needs it to do
What are the Different Types of Voice Disorders
Organic - Something is physically wrong with the mechanism
Functional - The physical structure is normal, but the mechanism is being used improperly or inefficiently
Sometimes an organic voice disorder, such as polyps or cysts (growths on the vocal folds) cause an individual to develop poor functional use of the voice. Other times, poor functional use, such as screaming or excessive throat clearing, can cause organic changes to occur, such as the development of nodules (a.k.a. "nodes").
The interaction between the organic and functional components of voice disorders is why it is so important to be treated by a team of voice specialists including at least an otolaryngologist (Ear, Nose and Throat doctor) with special training in the voice, and a certified speech-language pathologist with specialized training in voice disorders and rehabilitation.
Address
M Health Fairview Clinics and Surgery Center - Minneapolis
909 Fulton St. SE
Minneapolis, MN 55455
For Appointments
Call: 612-626-5900