What is Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy?
Functional exercise to improve breathing and sleep at any age.
Did you know that the position of your tongue, the way you breathe, and how your muscles function to chew and swallow as a child affect the way we grow and develop into adulthood? Our daily habits have long lasting effects. Orofacial myofunctional disorders (OMDs) are any dysfunction of the muscles of the mouth, face, and neck. These dysfunctions can cause a myriad of symptoms throughout our lives.
Early issues for babies who have OMDs are trouble breastfeeding, colic or reflux, and trouble sleeping. Tongue tie (ankyloglossia) or tethered oral tissues (TOTs) are often a contributing factor to these symptoms.
For children, the most common symptoms of OMDs are speech issues, trouble sleeping, eating and digestive issues, behavioral problems including ADHD, teeth crowding, and chronic sinus and ear infections. Unfortunately, children do not grow out of OMDs, if anything they tend to get worse over time due to the effects of lack of oxygenation, poor nutrition, and improper growth and development.
As adults, what starts out as mouth breathing or snoring may progress into upper airway resistance syndrome (UARS) or obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). The common complaints from our adult clients are daytime fatigue, inability to concentrate, chronic headaches, muscle aches and pains, TMJ disorder, and just an all-around feeling that they aren’t as healthy as they want to be! Untreated disordered breathing increases your risk for heart disease, stroke, diabetes, dementia/Alzheimer’s, vitamin deficiencies and hormonal imbalances, infertility, digestive issues, cavities and gum disease, chronic infections, and anxiety and depression. This list is not exhaustive - disordered breathing can affect every system of the body!
Thankfully, there is hope! Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy, also known as myofunctional therapy, orofacial myology, or just “myo”, is an exercise program similar to physical therapy that specifically targets the muscles of the mouth, face, and neck to correct dysfunction. The goals of myofunctional therapy are optimal breathing (through the nose), a proper oral rest posture (the lips gently closed and sealed, and the tongue lightly suctioned in the roof of the mouth), and to develop proper chewing and swallowing patterns.
This individualized therapy is an essential piece of the puzzle when it comes to functional frenuloplasty (tongue tie release), breathing reeducation, neuromuscular reintegration for improving speech and swallowing patterns, and improving sleep. Current literature shows that myofunctional therapy decreases the apnea-hypopnea index (the measurement of OSA) by approximately 50% in adults and 62% in children!
The best myofunctional therapy plans use a collaborative approach. We help you coordinate a healthcare team to provide you with the optimal plan to improve your health! The earlier in life you treat myofunctional impairment, the fewer symptoms and complications you will have. The age you are now is the perfect age to start!