The Unilateral Training in The Voice Studio.

Our musculoskeletal system is conceived in two (mostly) symmetrical parts, and the vocal folds are two. Voice production is a function of unilateral structures and bilateral ones, but even in the simple one diaphragm osteopaths can say on the asymmetries found in capacity of function or role of each of the two lobes according to all sorts of postural factors (feet and hips deviation, trauma, scars). The training is generally focused on the bilateral conjunct actions of the postural muscles, that in a rational biomechanical model should instead take into account the bilateral/unilateral actions and structures. It is yet known the role of neck muscles asymmetry or scars role in the post thyroidectomy voice disorders, and in here I make the case of the role of asymmetries or weaknesses and how to rationally work on those for voice production. In the joint by joint vision/model the accent is put on the functional segments of the musculoskeletal system that Gray Cook and Michael Boyle call joints, coinciding or not with the kynesiologic definition of those, still being a synthetic and useful way of better define stability or mobility functions within the entire body. Those segments are often separated by horizontal muscles acting as postural stabilisers as the pelvic floor or the diaphragm itself. As pointed by Michael Boyle when unilateral exercises are performed we find the role of stabilisers being shared with muscles usually not thought as stabilisers, and in the gluteus medius for the unilateral squat M. Boyle has seen his hypothesis confirmed by a study. Unilateral exercises with those accessory stabilisers have found in my practice a great place to develop voices not considered of good quality into high quality ones, exactly in the line of the findings of Michael Boyle with athletes and in functionality classes. I have in my hypothesis that are part of the in voice jargon called sustain. The horizontal stabilisers tend to have a biological hierarchy in their favour, meaning that for survival reasons they can compete and overwhelm the musculoskeletal functions required for correct voice production, and are the muscles the osteopaths often have to release. For those reasons unilateral training can present two functions: 1. a convenient and biomechanically sustained way of bypass some of the excess, or chronically activated actions of the stabilisers or when a weakness requires a compensation involving horizontal stabilisers; 2. a rational way of training or gaining back a function into the unilateral chain.