Associations between Teachers’ Posture, Muscle Tension and Voice Complaints

Abstract

The interaction between muscle tension, posture, and vocal use is very complex as clinical research suggests that abnormal laryngeal posture can be associated with muscle adaptive changes, although specific evidence concerning body posture and voice disorders has been lacking. Thus, the aim of this study was to verify if there were differences in posture, muscle tension and voice between teachers with and without voice complaints. Cross-sectional study. Twenty-four teachers, 6 males and 18 females, were submitted to photogrammetry, muscle tension assessed trough palpation and algometry assessment. Aerodynamic assessment of voice, acoustic and auditory-perceptual analysis of voice were done. Participants were divided into without voice complaints group (WVCG; n=11) and voice complaints group (VCG; n=13) based on Sociodemographic and Clinical Questionnaire completion. For auditory-perceptual analysis, VCG showed a significant higher values on GRBASH subscales Grade (p < 0.001) and Roughness (p=0.011). The VCG showed statistically significant higher values on muscle tension of suprahyoids (p=0.001), thyrohyoids (P=0009) and cricothyroids muscles (p=0.040) and statistically significant lower values on algometry of the cricothyroid (p=0.023 left and p=0.026 right), suprahyoids (p=0.017 left & p=0.018 right), thyrohyoids (p=0.006 left and p=0.007 right) and pharyngolaryngeal (p=0.016 left and p=0.021 right) muscles of both sides. Concerning the aerodynamic assessment of voice and acoustic analysis of voice, no statistically significant differences between the groups were found. Findings indicated statistically significant differences in muscle tension in laryngeal intrinsic muscles and auditory-perceptual analysis between teachers with and without voice complaints.