Understanding Vocal Tremor

Tremors are rhythmic, involuntary oscillating movements that, when the muscles of phonation are involved, have a disabling effect on the voice. Vocal tremors may not only impact the intrinsic muscles of the larynx, but also the extrinsic muscles, as well as the muscles of the diaphragm, chest wall, abdomen, mouth and throat. Because muscles in all of these parts of the body are used to speak, a tremor affecting any of these areas can make the voice sound shaky. With a tremor, the vocal cords flutter open and closed during voicing, and also sometimes during quiet breathing. The cycle typically occurs four to twelve times per second.