What treatments are available for vocal cord paralysis?
Bilateral paralysis is often medically treated and may require a tracheotomy to allow the person to eat safely. Surgery may be considered to bring one or both vocal cords closer to midline. Unilateral paralysis can be treated medically and/or behaviorally. Medical treatment includes muscle-nerve transplant, medialization thyroplasty (moving the paralyzed vocal cord toward midline), or injection of a substance to increase the size of the paralyzed vocal cord. Behavioral treatment includes voice therapy by an SLP. It may be the only treatment required for the individual. The individual will work with the SLP on pitch alteration, increasing breath support and loudness, and finding the correct position for optimal voicing (such as turning the head to one side or manipulating the thyroid cartilage). Research has shown that voice therapy is an effective intervention in the interim period between diagnosis of the paralysis and final resolution of the problem.
