Kimberly Williams-Paisley revealed that a voice disease left her unable to speak for two years.
The actress, 53, said Wednesday that she was diagnosed with muscle tension dysphonia (MTD), which caused the muscles around her voice box to tighten.
She said the condition, which mainly affects middle-aged women, effectively silenced her and made her unable to utter anything above a whisper.
After months of having to turn down jobs and interviews, doctors discovered that Williams-Paisley’s vocal cords were so tight that they barely showed up on scans.
MTD had caused his left laryngeal nerve, which controls the movement of the voice box, or voice box, to become partially paralyzed.
While it’s not clear exactly what caused it, experts believe that overuse of the vocal cords, pollution, and stress irritate the vocal cords and prevent them from vibrating with each other. This prevents sound from coming out.
Experts estimate that vocal cord conditions like MTD affect about 18 million Americans.
After months of unconventional therapies like acupuncture and antidepressants, and a three-hour operation in August to close the gaps between her vocal cords, Williams-Paisley’s voice is just beginning to return.
Kimberly Williams-Paisley, 53, revealed on Wednesday that she was diagnosed with muscle tension dysphonia (MTD), which caused the muscles around her voice box to tighten.
Two years after her symptoms began, Williams-Paisley is still recovering her voice. He underwent months of treatments to relax his vocal cords, followed by surgery.
She told People: “I felt trapped in my own body.”
MTD occurs when the muscles around the voice box become so tight when speaking that sound cannot come out.
According to Johns Hopkins University, the condition mainly affects women between 40 and 50 years old and people who tend to abuse their voice, such as teachers, singers and actors.
This overuse creates spaces in the vocal cords, preventing them from hitting each other and producing sound.
The condition usually begins suddenly and without warning. Williams-Paisley had just taken the stage in November 2022 to give a speech when no sound came from the microphone.
“It was terrifying,” he said.
For months afterward, he could only whisper. Even now, he said he can barely “scream on the road.”
Typical symptoms, according to Johns Hopkins University, include a hoarse or hoarse voice, muscle aches and tenderness in the throat and neck, a weak or strained voice, frequent throat clearing, and a feeling of a lump in the throat.
Pictured is the scar from Williams-Paisley’s three-hour operation to bring her vocal cords closer together.
While overuse of the vocal cords is the main cause, experts also believe that conditions that irritate the respiratory system such as smoking, pollution, and acid reflux can cause the vocal cords to become weak and tight.
In August 2024, Williams-Paisley underwent medialization laryngoplasty, a three-hour operation that brought her damaged left vocal cord closer to her right.
He said his voice is still hoarse and he meditates regularly to reduce his stress levels and prevent his muscles from tightening again.
She said: ‘I’m taking better care of my body. I’m managing the stress. I’m dissolving shame. I feel more complete, empowered and joyful.”