Note: [Fred Samorodin has had the opportunity to briefly study with Dr. Jacob Lieberman, D.O. and uses the insights gathered from Dr. Lieberman's work to work directly with freeing the larynx (voice box) with hands-on techniques that may help individuals find their "voice" physically and/or emotionally.  Such work may take time and can be helped by coordinating  a counsellor's or psychologist's work with Fred Samorodin's whole body treatments.]

Jacob Lieberman’s holistic larynx treatment has made him indispensable to the stars. Actor Michael Simkins reports
• Michael Simkins
• The Guardian, Thursday 13 June 2002 13.27 BST

“Until I encountered Jacob Lieberman I thought there was only one area of my body to which I was uneasy about allowing strangers access. In fact there are two.

Lieberman is a registered osteopath and psychotherapist with an interest in psychosomatic disorders. What makes him unusual is that he has made the manipulation of the larynx his field of study. In the world of acting and singing he is well known as a man with a very particular skill, treating a part of the throat which few hands, if any, ever touch.

Lieberman became fascinated by osteopathy while working as a management executive in his home country of Israel. Having developed a serious neck problem when painting his house, he was “clicked” back into place by a chiropractor.

“That click changed my life, literally and metaphorically,” he says. “I threw up everything, my job, my home, my car, and came to Britain to study osteopathy.” But the limitations of dealing purely with the physical body without reference to the psychosomatic aspects of the complaint soon became clear, and he enrolled on a course of psychotherapy at the Tavistock clinic in London.

Most people arriving for a meeting with Lieberman are taken aback, as I was, by the fact that much of his initial consultation consists of inquiry into the person’s lifestyle and history. It is more akin to a psychotherapy session than a manipulation; throughout his questioning his manner is considered, his tone studious, almost academic. “The larynx is inextricably linked to the psychological state of the person,” he says. “We all use phrases such as ‘a stiff upper lip’ or ‘a lump in the throat’ to describe physical manifestations of emotional states – thus, by dealing merely with the symptoms of voice loss without investigating its emotional cause is less likely to prove beneficial in the long run.”

In fact, Lieberman will not even attempt physical manipulation unless he has gained an understanding of the person’s emotional state beforehand. “Often the vocal folds themselves may give no physical indication of strain or overuse. Only by working with the body, but also studying the mind, is it possible to unlock the fundamental underlying problem.”

Lieberman admits that this is an area where there has been little or no application of physical therapy before. The larynx is a largely ignored, almost forgotten part of the body. It is a complex mechanism made of collections of cartilage (muscles, ligaments and joints) suspended in the throat; in young people it is springy and flexible, with age the texture becomes harder and more unyielding. In all cases it is a delicate area to manipulate.

“Its original function was as a shield to provide protection for the airways,” he explains. “Virtually any animal of prey which attacks another will go for the throat.” He points out that the use of vocal folds for highly organised speech came at a much later stage of evolution.

The moment Lieberman first places his hands on the voice box is a curious sensation and he is careful to alert patients to possible reaction. In my case, I was convulsed with a bout of unstoppable adolescent giggling, but I was aware, even while laughing, that it is no mere tickling sensation; I also experienced an intense physiological relief.

Lieberman remains unfazed by such responses: “One’s personal reaction is very informative. Some people laugh, many cry profusely, while others feel overwhelmingly tired and deflated. Some can’t even bear the sensation of a scarf around their throat.” After a few moments he asks me to swallow. What he refers to as “the quality of the swallowing” is, he believes, itself, determined by psychological states. “The action causes you to tighten muscles which creates a combined movement; the larynx moves slightly backwards and then upwards and forwards from its resting place, after which it relaxes again. At this point it is possible to push it sideways and move your fingers gently behind it.” It sounds worse than it feels, the pressure of his fingers is not uncomfortable.

Many of his clients work in the performing arts and their voices have broken down, often for no immediately identifiable reason. “I had a cold four months ago and now this,” they lament. For businessmen, actors and even professional singers, the voice has been artificially maintained on constant adrenaline, often for weeks on end. Often problems only occur when they have a break or a holiday and the excessive adrenaline is no longer required. Worse still, the fact of losing the voice provokes further stress, and Lieberman believes that at this point people quickly develop what he calls “survival techniques” which only compound the problems. “Deprived of confidence in the ability of your voice to manage, you fail to support it, or even to breathe properly. It becomes a vicious spiral.”
Lieberman also believes that the performers’ lifestyle is a strain: “Performing each evening and eating late at night leads to poor digestion and disrupted sleep patterns. When one is young, the rate of recovery is faster than the damage process, but as one gets older the situation is reversed.”
The pressure experienced by workers in call centres, dealing with complaints and anxieties by phone day after day, is another area in which he believes there is a strong connection between vocal and physical illness.

At the end of the manipulation I am advised to rise from the chair slowly. As I do so, the full effect of Lieberman’s expertise becomes apparent. I feel what seems like a pint of warm oil gliding down my throat. Something has been released, both physically and emotionally, which has been trapped there a very long time.”

jacob-lieberman.co.uk

Though Brahms and Beethoven aren’t what Richard Simmons had in mind with Sweatin’ to the Oldies, new research suggests the composers’ choral work might be just what your body wants.

According to Victoria Meredith, a University of Western Ontario professor who used the school’s adult choirs as a “live research lab,” participation in choral music leads to increased respiratory function, improved overall health, a heightened immune system and improved brain function.

Meredith also concludes that performing in a choir “can keep you younger and healthier for longer,” pointing to similar studies that found people who sing on a regular basis require fewer doctors’ visits, are less prone to falls, don’t need as much medication, and are less likely to be depressed.

Put simply, group singalongs may offer the benefits of exercise without the humiliation of Spandex.

“Just as in general physical exercise, optimal results are seen when a singer exercises their vocal muscles at least three times a week for at least 20 minutes at time,” says Meredith, who has worked with the Canadian Centre for Aging and Activity.”

“A heavy workout one day is usually best followed by either a light workout or vocal rest the following day.”

Meredith’s research with four choirs, whose members varied in age from 18 to 84, spanned the last two years. Her investigation looked at everything from breath control and vocal range to anecdotal information such as whether or not the choristers felt happier or more aware of their bodies when they performed.

“Individual participant responses included such comments as : “Singing keeps my mind more agile,” “Singing increases the amount of joy in my life” [and] “My breathing is better—even after lung surgery,” says Meredith, noting that the observations align closely with those of George Washington University’s three-year study on the impact of professionally conducted cultural programs on older adults.

Though Meredith remarks that many of the documented benefits of singing are “of a psychological nature, related to being part of a group with shared goals,” researchers have also discovered compelling evidence for physical advantages. The disease-fighting protein (sIg A), for example, was found to increase by 150 per cent during choir rehearsals and 240 per cent during performances.

John McMillan, an Edmonton musician and choir director, may be living proof of the power of song. Since he began performing choral music 13 years ago, McMillan says he gets sick less often, has more energy, and feels generally happier.

“When [a show] goes well and you feel like you’ve positively affected other people, it affects you, too,” Says McMillan, 28. “I feel rejuvenated after a performance—kind of like my soul has been revitalized.

It is inevitable that the stress and tension of life often contributes to temperomandibular joint disorders (TMD), however trauma or even “routine” dental procedures may lead to what Dr. Greg Goddard calls the “Overlooked Diagnosis”¹.

The problem is that a TMD may not directly reveal itself. The TMD may show up as:

• Tension headaches particularly in the temples but just as easily elsewhere in the head.
• Limitation of jaw movements ranging from a locked jaw in an open or closed position to a grating, clicking or popping jaw joint.
• The experience of having your head “in a vice”.
• Grinding one’s teeth at night that a dentist may address with a bite guard for nighttime use or the accelerated wear and tear on tooth fillings, dental appliances or the increased risk of cracking or splitting teeth.
• Facial, neck, shoulder and low back pains.
• Singing or speaking voice fatigue leading to vocal cord strain.

If you suspect a jaw disorder, you might want to consider receiving manual therapy from a health-care professional who is experienced in using bodywork principles and techniques developed by cranial osteopaths and bodyworkers.

Recently a business owner came to see me concerning a locked jaw. For the previous two or three weeks he had been unable to open his mouth wide enough to put in a spoon. Besides the pain, he ended up with a very limited diet, disturbed sleep and an aggravated dental condition of the gums. His concerned dentist sent him to a series of dental specialists, one of whom decided to refer him to me while another dentist used such vigorous examination procedures that the gentleman’s condition was actually aggravated.

After his first visit with me, the patient had enough relief in order to finally be able to fit a spoon in his mouth. After several visits not only was his mouth opening back to normal, but his neck was more flexible and his posture more balanced. This gentleman had gone through a particularly severe episode of the temperomandibular joint disorder.

As a healthcare professional trained in osteopathic techniques I have a good awareness of the strong positive potential to improve the symmetry of body posture and movement. I can use gentle manual therapy on the joints of the skull, the roof of the mouth, the upper neck joints, the tongue, and throat to help balance out postural malalignments. The relief of having physical distortions released from the bones and soft tissues surrounding the brain and spinal cord benefits the whole body.

Should you be experiencing a set of physical problems related to the preceding list ask your dentist or physician to recommend CranioSacral Therapy or Cranial Osteopathy. Canada has very few Osteopathic physicians. However a small percentage of Canadian physical therapists like myself and other health-care practitioners have incorporated the intricate work of cranial osteopathy into our practices. Such terms as as CranioSacral Therapy, Neuromuscular Release Therapy, CranioManidibular Therapy and Cranial Osteopathy, to name a few, offer some reassurance that we will:

1. Use gentle techniques
2. Work inside the mouth
3. Work with the total body posture.

Your efforts will be rewarded with benefits to your dental as well as general health.

1. Goddard, Greg, D.D.S. TMJ: The Jaw Connection – The Overlooked Diagnosis.

As a result of their finding, the researchers hope to study whether daily episodes of humming can reduce the risk of sinusitis in patients susceptible to upper respiratory infection (URI).

(Sinusitis, a common illness reported by 14 percent of the U.S. population, involves the inflammation of one of the paranasal sinuses, usually from URI.)

The researchers, who tested 10 healthy males, ages 34 to 38, found that humming sped up the exchange of air between the sinuses and the nasal cavity and increased the nitric oxide (NO) rate by 15-fold.

The researchers pointed out that proper ventilation is essential for the maintenance of sinus integrity, and that blockage of the opening between the two cavities is a central event in the development of sinusitus.

The authors note that the current test to measure the degree the sinuses are open is invasive and somewhat cumbersome to perform.

The study appears in the second issue for July of the American Thoracic Society’s peer-reviewed American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. July 26, 2002.