What is the Pacific Voice Clinic / PVCrp?

The Pacific Voice Clinic houses a medical and paramedical specialists who are highly trained and interested in problems of the voice and larynx (voice box). This includes speech-language pathologists; medical specialists with advanced training in problems of the "Ears, Nose and Throat" (called Otolaryngologists), psychiatrists and speech-language pathology students or specialist doctors in training. The group also collaborates closely with medical specialists in related fields such as respirology, neurology and gastro-enterology. Because in-depth and high-technology procedures are undertaken in the Voice Clinic, it also houses up-to-date equipment for assessing, diagnosing and treating people with voice problems.

The Pacific Voice Clinic is also the "home-base" for the Provincial Voice Care Resource Program (PVCrp), directed by Linda Rammage, PhD, RSLP. This is an assessment, outreach and consultancy program for residents of British Columbia experiencing voice problems. The PVCRP is funded by annual contracts with the Provincial Health Services Authority. By providing health care professionals with advice, training and on-site visits when necessary, Dr. Rammage and the PVCRP support the ongoing expert care of individuals within their own communities. For more information about the PVCRP and its mandate, see the section About PVCrp.

What Are Voice Problems and What Causes Them?

A voice problem or "dysphonia" occurs when the sound-producing element of speech is disturbed. This can lead to complaints of "hoarseness"; "voice breaks"; "pain, tension or effort during speech or singing"; "change in pitch range"; "vocal weakness" and other features. The cause of voice problems can vary widely: from muscle tension related to psychological stress... to physical changes on the vocal folds (vocal cords) due to growths, injury, or other illnesses. Most often, several factors combine to cause a voice problem. For example: Bob had a bad cold last December while he was preparing his oral exams for his master's degree, about which he was very anxious. The cold caused vocal folds swelling ("laryngitis"), as it often will, but he did not rest his voice because he had to practice for the oral exams. Because he was talking with swollen vocal cords, and because he was anxious, tired and unwell, he started using his throat muscles in a different way when he talked: with too much tension. This led to an ongoing hoarseness and throat effort long after the swelling from the cold had resolved, because the tense way of talking became a "habit" outside his conscious control.

Illnesses like strokes, neurological diseases and cancer can also lead to voice problems, but by far the most common factor is improper use of the voice and vocal muscles.

Why Might I Seek a Referral to the Pacific Voice Clinic?

Voice problems can affect communication, but not all medical professionals have extensive training in diagnosing and treating communication problems. Few communication specialists have access to the expertise and equipment required to manage all aspects of a complex voice problem. Because health care professionals cannot be specialists in everything, specialty clinics like the Pacific Voice Clinic have been developed to provide the professionals and their patients with expertise and support.