What is Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy?
Orofacial (mouth/ face)
Myofunctional (muscle function) therapy can be likened to physical therapy that focuses on the muscles below the eyes and above the shoulders.
With a main goal of achieving optimal oral rest posture, emphasis is also placed upon how the body performs its essential tasks of breathing, chewing, and swallowing. These everyday, automatic functions are intricately involved in proper growth and development (particularly of the airway) in children, and play a vital role in posture, digestion, sleep, and mental & physical health throughout the entire lifespan.
Very commonly, disruptions in ideal function can occur, and due to the body's attempt to compensate, these disruptions can lead to dysfunctions (called Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders, or OMDs). Over time, these dysfunctions become ingrained, and without intervention, can lead to a domino-effect of detrimental health effects.
Myofunctional therapy helps reverse the negative impacts created by OMDs by restoring proper function and correcting existing dysfunctions.
Kathleen's expertise in identifying OMDs allows her to specifically-tailor individualized rehabilitation programs for her patients utilizing principles of neuroplasticity- the brain's ability to change and create new patterns- so that they may achieve health benefits that last a lifetime.
For Children
The growth and development of a child's face and airway (aesthetically as well as functionally) is dictated by oral rest posture and orofacial muscle function, and has an enormous impact on brain development, learning & behavior, and the body's ability to support whole-body health.
Improved Sleep
Sleep disordered breathing ranges from restless/fragmented sleep and snoring to severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Myofunctional therapy has been shown to improve the body's ability to achieve high quality, deeply-restorative, restful sleep and can help reduce or eliminate snoring. Clinical research has demonstrated that myofunciotnal therapy can effectively reduce the severity of OSA by 50%.
TMJ Disorders
The tongue plays a major role in the stabilization of the jaw. Myofunctional therapy can help alleviate symptoms related to temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMD) by restoring optimal rest posture and enabling the tongue to act as a supportive cushion for the jaw joints.
Correction of Mouth Breathing
Mouth breathing is extremely detrimental to all aspects of health. The body and brain are negatively impacted--literally starved of oxygen-- when mouth breathing is dominant over nasal breathing. Most of the time, this is due to a habit, which can be corrected.
Nervous System Regulation
Structural fitness, toned airway musculature, and proper oral resting posture are supportive of nervous system balance and regulation. Parasympathetic, or involuntary, bodily functions such as digestion, heart rate, and immune function are impacted by Vagus nerve stimulation, which can be modulated with myofunctional therapy.
Whole Body Health
Myofunctional therapy can help improve physical alignment, breathing, circulation, mental wellness, facial radiance and symmetry, and overall wellness and vitality.
Learn More
Submit a request to set up a complimentary phone screening to learn if myofunctional therapy might be right for you.