Functional dysphonia is a voice problem that is not caused by a physical injury or disease of the vocal cords. Instead, it happens when the voice is affected by stress, habits, or even psychological influences. In simple terms, the voice does not work normally because of how the muscles are used (or not) rather than because of an organic disease like inflammation or growth. Sometimes, these issues are mistakenly thought to be caused by conditions like reflux laryngitis, which can lead to the wrong treatment.

Doctors usually evaluate functional dysphonia by carefully examining how the voice sounds and examining the vocal cords with a small camera (fiberoptic laryngoscopy). They might ask you to perform different speaking tasks so they can see if your vocal cords are vibrating normally. Treatment for functional dysphonia typically involves voice therapy with a speech-language pathologist to help retrain proper voice use. In some cases, if stress or emotional factors contribute to the problem, psychological support may also help get to the root of the issue.

Muscle tension dysphonia (MTD) is a voice disorder that happens when the muscles around the voice box are too tight or used in a way that makes speaking difficult. This extra tension can cause your voice to sound strained, rough, or hoarse. MTD can be a primary problem or how the body compensates when there is another issue, such as swelling from reflux or scarring from a previous injury. The condition might be noticed as an abnormally high or tight-sounding voice and sometimes even physical discomfort in the neck and throat.

During an examination, doctors look for signs of tension by watching how the vocal cords move during speech and feeling tenderness in the neck muscles. Special techniques like fiberoptic laryngoscopy are used to observe patterns such as a squeezed or compressed vocal fold position. Treatment for MTD usually centers on voice therapy techniques that help you relax your laryngeal muscles and improve your breathing and speaking habits. Methods such as laryngeal massage, resonant voice therapy, and exercises to reduce unnecessary muscle tension are often used. Addressing any underlying medical issues in patients with muscle tension dysphonia is essential so that voice therapy can be the most effective.