Barbara Cooke gets Botox shots in her neck.

"I do have several months where I have a normal voice," Cooke said.

Cooke has a condition called spasmodic dysphonia. Her vocal cords spasm. The problem starts at the base of the brain.

"An irregular signal then goes down through those nerves to the vocal cords causing the spasms but ultimately we don't know why that occurs," otolaryngologist Dr. Lee Reussner said.

Dr. Reussner said Botox injections can diminish the spasms. People with spasmodic dysphonia get the treatments every three months or so. The voice generally improves a week later.

"It's a gift when you have this condition," Cooke said.

"It has made a world of difference in the way I'm able to interact with other people," patient O.G. Bruce said.

Bruce has had Botox injections in her vocal muscles for almost 20 years, and knows many people don't realize Botox was used for this and some other conditions before it was used on wrinkles.

Interestingly, Botox isn't FDA-approved for spasmodic dysphonia. It's an off-label use.

Dr. Reussner said the maker likely hasn't sought that approval because spasmodic dysphonia doesn't affect many people. But he says the many years of use show it is effective and safe for voice trouble.

"We're using doses that are incredibly small. The risks are very, very small," Dr. Reussner said.

Living with spasmodic dysphonia is still very challenging. It's why Bruce started a support group.

"Just the fact we can share with each other the problems we've had," Bruce said.

She said that support and Botox makes life easier for those with the voice problem.

Botox will soon have some competition for treating wrinkles. The FDA has approved a similar product called Dysport

View the video online at fox4kc.com.