Some of Dr. Tanya Meyer’s patients contend with chronic neuromuscular conditions that can turn smooth, unencumbered speech into raspy paroxysms of sound. Fortunately, this can be managed with periodic botulinum toxin injections — yes, Botox — in the throat, which block the unwelcome nerve signals that make vocal muscles spasm.
Meyer and colleague Neel Bhatt, laryngologists with UW Medicine in Seattle, co-authored recently published research that confirmed their suspicion: Some people with laryngeal dystonia and essential tremor of the vocal tract benefit from Botox injections more frequently than the three-month interval that most health insurers allow.
