Chronic Vocal Pain Myths: Pain When Talking Means Injury

People ask me a lot of questions about vocal pain. For example: Katarina, when I feel pain when talking, should I stop talking? Does it mean that I am harming my voice? What is really going on in my throat when I feel pain? Let me answer these questions and dispel some myths about chronic vocal pain.

I work with people who experience vocal strain, tension and pain in their voice when talking and I know that persistent pain is scary and frustrating. A lack of understanding of chronic pain is also confusing and leaves people either paralyzed because they are afraid to use their voice or it keeps them wondering what they are really supposed to do to get rid of it. So, let me share some important pain facts to give you a piece of mind.

Vocal Pain Facts

Our understanding of pain has changed in the last decade or so. And scientists now agree that pain is a sophisticated protective mechanism designed to protect you. I always say: pain is a good thing because the purpose of pain is to protect you and your body. 

The problem is that this system is not perfect. The longer pain persists, the easier it is for our pain system to become overprotective. It means that the sensation of pain is triggered even when the stimulus should not cause any pain or it is triggered with a very small amount of danger signals. 

You Have Superpowers

The good news is that you're equipped with coping strategies and you can lessen your pain and you can learn to stop thinking the worst about vocal pain. If you feel that pain is dangerous and uncontrollable, it will be challenging to turn off your negative thoughts and start thinking more optimistically.

Misconceptions About Vocal Pain

Myth #1 Vocal pain means tissue damage

It's critical to understand that pain is not proportionate to damage. Knowing this pain fact can really empower you in what you do next. We know that you can have no pain with a significant injury and you can also feel a lot of pain with no injury or very small injury. For example, a paper cut hurts really badly but maybe at some point in your life, you noticed a bruise on your body but did not remember how you got it. 

Note: I am also not saying that you should now go and talk for hours. If you have been dealing with a vocal issue for some time, you need a plan to get your voice back gradually.

Pain is a construct of your brain. Your brain will decide if it creates pain or not. How does that work? Your brain constantly receives signals from receptors in your body, including your voice. There are a lot of receptors in your vocal mechanism. So your brain receives these messages and no pain is felt until the brain interprets this information and decides that the pain may protect you in some way.  

Myth #2 Pain is in your head

I am not saying that pain is in your head. Absolutely not! Pain that you are feeling is as real as it gets. It is very physical. I want to make absolutely clear that your pain is valid. But it is a complex biopsychosocial reaction to what is going on inside and outside of your body. 

Persistent pain is a learned behaviour. If your brain has been creating pain for some time to make you safe, it has no reason to stop. Your brain evaluates a massive amount of information when creating pain, including messages from your body, previous experiences, cultural and social norms, your belief system, the context of the situation, and much more. This happens very fast and it is not a conscious decision. It’s not something that you decide or not. 

Myth #3 Chronic pain is forever

For some people, the word chronic means that the pain will never go away or the pain is going to last forever. But the word chronic in relation to pain simply means that it has lasted for some time and beyond the usual time of healing. Therefore, some people call chronic pain persistent or ongoing. 

So, what I want to say is don’t give up. Vocal pain is not a life sentence. There are strategies and techniques you can use to lessen the amount of pain you feel. You can develop an action plan to gain your voice back, you can learn what vocal or other activities are best for your voice and how to gain your vocal endurance and stamina back. 

If you are experiencing vocal strain, tension or even pain when speaking, and you are ready to work with me towards a free, strong and confident voice, you can apply to our Vocal Freedom System coaching program. Click this link. 

Watch this video for more information about vocal pain:

Link to the video: https://youtu.be/xOF5QS9KcDI