Associations between Posture, Voice, and Dysphonia: A Systematic Review.

OBJECTIVE

The study aimed to systematize the associations between posture, voice, and dysphonia in order to support future research directions and possible clinical interventions.

STUDY

DESIGN

The study is a systematic review.

METHODS

According to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses flowchart, a search on PubMed/Medline, SciELO, RCAAP, LILACS, Cochrane Library, PEDro, and Isi Web of Knowledge was performed from their inception through January of 2017 using the key words "posture" and ("voice" or "dysphonia"). The inclusion criteria were full-text journal articles in French, English, Portuguese, or Spanish, exploring the relationship between posture and voice or dysphonia, in adult human beings. The exclusion criteria coupled treatments for voice disorders, literature reviews and meta-analyses, case studies, opinion articles, and studies linking breathing with posture without assessing voice. Studies were analyzed using a modified version of the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS).

RESULTS

Twelve papers met the inclusion criteria with high methodological quality through the NOS. The review shows that a correct posture is necessary for an efficient voice production; however, the relation between dysphonia and posture seems to be contradictory.

CONCLUSION

An effective posture allows a subject in a static posture or while moving to more easily shift the tension between muscles, allowing for a free movement of the larynx without blockages and with benefits to voice production.