What is Myofunctional Therapy?
Let’s break it down – “myo” is a prefix relating to muscle and “functional” relates to function. Therefore, myofunctional therapy targets the function of isolated muscles. Think of it as “physical therapy” for the mouth. The therapy program encompasses a set of exercises designed to train your muscles to function properly while breathing, swallowing, and speaking.
Who needs myofunctional therapy?
Individuals who are diagnosed with an orofacial myofunctional disorder (OMD) are candidates for treatment. OMDs are disorders of the muscles and functions of the face and mouth. Common symptoms of OMDs include, but are not limited to:
Mouth breathing
Open mouth rest posture
Oral habits (e.g., thumb sucking, prolonged pacifier use, nail biting)
Open bite or misaligned teeth
Orthodontic relapse
Clenching jaw or grinding teeth
TMJ
Tongue thrust
Chewing with lips open
Messy eating
Difficulty managing secretions/drooling
Snoring
Sleep walking or bed wetting
Sleep disorders (e.g., Insomnia, obstructive sleep apnea)
Anxiety
Neck, shoulder, and back tension
Poor posture
Frequent headaches
Stubborn speech distortions (e.g., lisp, /r/)
Common health effects resulting from OMDs include, but are not limited to:
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADD/ADHD)
Anxiety
Cerebrovascular accident (i.e., stroke)
Hormonal Imbalance
Digestive issues
Sleep apnea
Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
Alzheimer’s disease
Cardiovascular disease
Congestion
What causes OMDs?
Blocked nasal patency and airway passages due to enlarged tonsils, adenoids, or turbinates is a leading culprit for OMDs (Billings et. al, n.d.). If you cannot breathe through your nose, naturally you breathe through your mouth. Well… when your jaw opens your tongue falls in a low position.
Another casual factor is prolonged use of oral habits or frequent marketing items (e.g., pacifiers and sippy cups). Pacifiers can hold the tongue to the floor of the mouth which contradicts (want tongue to stay glued to the palate). These tools were made as a convience for parents, but they are not a right of passage and should be used carefully. Not good for development
Why is myofunctional therapy important?
Symptoms of OMDs can negatively impact breasteeding, facial skeletal growth and development, chewing, swallowing, speech production, oral hygiene, sleep, mental health, and more.
It is beyond difficult observing and experiencing the effects of how traditional healthcare has failed us. As a society, we have normalized medicating children, sleeping with machines, retracting teeth, and living with chronic pain. Why do medical professionals place a temporary bandaid on an issue instead of placing the focus on identifying the root cause and creating a holistic treatment plan to alleviate symptoms? Learning about myofunctional therapy has completely changed the way I view tretment and value my health. Unfortunately, this is a specialty area that often gets overlooked by many professionals due to a lack of awareness, education, or knowledge. Don’t hestiate when it comes to your health. Please contact us should you have any questions regarding myofunctional therapy.
With love,
RM Studio
Reference: Billings, M., Fonssagrives, D., Franklin, H., Grant, P., Holtzman, S., Kellum, G., Mason, R., Taylor, P., & Wolkoff, E. (n.d.). Orofacial myofunctional disorders. American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Retrieved August 31, 2022, from https://www.asha.org/practice-portal/clinical-topics/orofacial-myofunctional-disorders/
