Personal Reflections

Among all the topics that we’ve discussed so far, phonation is probably my favorite. I had fun familiarizing the muscles, cartilages, ligaments, and other structures involved in phonation. The following are my main takeaways for this chapter:

1. First, muscles, cartilages, and ligaments are all connected to each other and their names signify how they are related with each other. I honestly thought that I would have a hard time understanding and memorizing all these information, but upon knowing how these structures are named, I became relieved. I was amazed that the cricothyroid ligament basically connects the cricoid cartilage to the thyroid cartilage and that the thyroarytenoid muscle got its name because of its position and attachment (which is beneath the vocal fold and attach the thyroid cartilage to the vocal process of the arytenoid cartilage). Therefore, the naming system is super catchy and easy to comprehend.

2. I realized the importance of always remembering the lessons and learning it by heart. We had a lecture session in SLP 1041 wherein we were asked about the laryngeal adductors and abductors. At that moment, I forgot some of the muscles involved since I had the mindset that it was a different course so I did not need to worry about the muscles and other anatomical facts, but I was wrong. Thus, at the end of the session, I tried to review my notes and memorized the laryngeal adductors (lateral cricoarytenoid muscle and transverse arytenoid muscle) and laryngeal abductor (posterior cricoarytenoid muscle).

3. Like other knowledge in this world, phonation can also be explained through various theories. The most common theories of phonation are the Myoelastic-Aerodynamic Theory and the Body Cover Theory. What struck to me was the Body Cover Theory which basically stated that the muscles provide stiffness and actual structure but it is actually the cover that provides the means for vibration. The lesson on the theories of phonation made me realize how important it is to understand the physiology and other underlying concepts and not merely stick to memorizing the anatomical placements of these structures. As SLPs, we need to be able to comprehend how these structures actually work.

4. It is vital to take good care of our voice because there’s a myriad of possible vocal complications caused by vocal misuse or abuse. As someone who regularly uses her voice beyond regular speaking, I have experienced a lot of voice strains (which were never that serious anyway). I realized that it is better to completely prevent and avoid the instances of these complications than to simply react to it. Remember the cliché: prevention is better than cure.

These are only few of the realizations that I have learned throughout this shifting (or particularly in the lesson in phonation). Thus, I hope to learn more in the succeeding lessons and shifting and I hope to maintain this enthusiasm that I have in learning anatomy and physiology in the context of Speech-Language Pathology.