Using Professional Experience Beyond Medicine to Treat the Vocal Cords│Romina Huerta

The Think Neuro podcast from Pacific Neuroscience Institute takes you into the clinic, operating room and laboratory with doctors and surgeons who are tackling the most challenging brain diseases and disorders. Host: Anthony Effinger

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Episode 54: Show Notes

Use the term “vocal cords” and most people think of the structure that lets us talk, sing and yell. But these folds of throat tissue do much more. Among their most important functions is sealing off the trachea, or windpipe, when we eat or drink, to keep foods and liquids from getting into our lungs.

Romina Huerta, a speech-language pathologist at PNI, knows all about the vocal cords. Long before her medical career began, she learned the violin and became a singer. These days, she’s a member of the Grammy-nominated band Mariachi Reyna de Los Angeles. That experience helps her understand what ails other professional singers who come to her for help with overworked vocal cords. She’s been there and done that.

She also treats people who have swallowing disorders, which are often caused by dementia and Parkinson’s disease. Strokes and brain injuries also bring patients into PNI, where Romina works with our otolaryngologists—surgeons and doctors who treat the ear, nose and throat.

Listen to this episode to learn how Romina helps singers and others care for their vocal cords.

About Romina Huerta

Romina Huerta, MS, CCC-SLP, is a Speech-Language Pathologist at the Pacific Neuroscience Institute. She specializes in the evaluation and treatment of voice, speech/language, cognitive, and swallowing disorders. Romina provides evidence-based, patient-centered care, and she has experience performing fiberoptic endoscopic evaluations of swallow and videofluoroscopic swallow studies. She is trained in myofascial release for voice and swallowing disorders and has a special interest in working with professional voice users.

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