Voice and Swallowing Disorders
Since 2013 Walt Fritz, PT has been teaching a highly specialized form of myofascial release/manual therapy to speech-language pathologists, vocal coaches, ENNTs, and other health professionals interested in using a manual therapy approach to voice and swallowing disorders. His students are working across the globe in acute care settings, private clinics, and travelling with some of the top vocal performers in the world. Walt is now seeing patients with issues within these areas in his Rochester, NY clinic. While it is beyond the scope of this page to include all of the potential diagnoses that Walt’s approach can help, a partial list includes:
- Vocal fatigue
- Tongue tension
- Jaw pain and cramping
- Breath support issues
- Vocal range and endurance issues
- Swallowing and mouth opening difficulties secondary to surgery or radiation treatment
- GERD
- Pressure in the throat region
Walt works in partnership with many speech-language pathologists, ENTs (and other related MDs), and vocal coaches to maximize function and teach effective self-treatment strategies. While physical therapy in New York State does initially not require a physician’s referral, Walt requires a thorough evaluation by an appropriate MD prior to initiating treatment. This assures you that there are no underlying issues and that his form of intervention can be started with no concerns.
If you are interested in learning more and are interested in visiting Walt’s Rochester, NY clinic for an evaluation, email from the “Contact Us” button on the right side of this page or call 585-244-6180.
You can view a wide range of Walt’s instructional videos on Youtube.
