What Is Myofunctional Therapy?
Myofunctional Therapy is like physical therapy for the mouth and face muscles. Myofunctional therapy is an individualized program of static and dynamic strength and pattern retraining exercises of the tongue and orofacial muscles intended to correct maladaptive oral habits and help restore correct oral resting posture.
This therapy goes by several different names: orofacial myology, myofunctional therapy, and orofacial myofunctional therapy. This therapy is completed by therapists trained to treat disorders of the face, mouth and neck muscles. Believe it or not, the muscles all form an intricate network and are designed to function a certain way. However, the body is amazing at adapting when there is a problem, resulting in dysfunction of these muscle groups. This adaptation can result in lifelong consequences and an increase in symptoms over time.
Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy
Fun Facts
One thing you may notice different about us is that we often call it orofacial myofunctional therapy. It is totally a mouth full, but if you were to google OMT, you’re going to learn about osteopathic manipulation therapy instead of what we do. If we simply use the phrase myofunctional therapy, it means muscle function therapy, and since you have 600 muscles broken down into three types: skeletal, smooth and cardiac….we think its good to be a bit more specific since we work on the muscle function of the orofacial muscles. These 20 craniofacial muscles control movements in the cheeks, chin, ears, eyebrows, eyelids, forehead, lips, nose and nostrils.
Myofunctional therapy, as it is most commonly called, works to bring awareness to the areas of concern and then helps teach the patient how to properly use the muscles, implement new habits and how to retain those new patterns.
Myofunctional therapy focuses on the muscles of the mouth, face, and throat. By strengthening weak muscles, learning proper function and making behavior modifications, improvements can be made to breathing, speaking, chewing and swallowing.
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Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders
Orofacial myofunctional disorders are disorders of the muscles and the functions of the face and mouth. These disorders may affect breastfeeding, chewing, swallowing, speech, jaw movement, facial and skeletal growth, malocclusion, orthodontic treatment, oral hygiene, facial appearance and more.
4 Goals For Myofunctional Therapy
Correct Tongue Posture
A low resting tongue posture can contribute to incorrect muscle function. This may be the result of a habit or a physical barrier, such as a tongue-tie. It definitely has a domino-like effect. When the tongue resting posture is low, it can lead to airway obstruction. When someone has difficulty getting air, the body responds to this “911” emergency call by opening the mouth and shifting the tongue forward to open up the airway and allow more air in. Quite often, this temporary mouth breathing situation leads to a chronic habit of open-mouth breathing.
Incorrect tongue resting posture is most concerning because of the constant, static force of the tongue at rest. This constant pressure is more of a concern than the intermittent forces of an incorrect swallowing pattern (tongue thrust detailed below).
When it comes to children, correct oral rest posture and continuous nasal breathing is absolutely critical for sufficient craniofacial and airway development.
Correct Mouth Posture
Correct mouth posture is considered to be mouth closed, teeth gently together, and lips sealed. Incorrect mouth posture can lead to changes in how the face looks.
Nasal Breathing
For optimum health and high, level performance, your body relies on nasal breathing. When a person is mouth breathing, not only does it alter the correct development of the facial skeleton and the airway, but mouth breathing also deprives the body of important oxygen needed to function properly. Mouth breathing also causes the body to live in a chronically, stressed state of sympathetic overdrive.
Correct Swallowing Habits
Correct swallowing mechanics can be the hardest part of therapy. Lack of correct nasal breathing or correct oral rest posture can cause the tongue to thrust when swallowing. This thrust is an adaptation or compensation of the body. A tongue thrust can occur anteriorly (pushing forward), laterally (pushing sideways) and can occur on just one side (unilaterally), or on both sides (bilaterally).
There are 4 stages of swallowing and each stage requires certain actions before the next stage can be completed. If the tongue and mouth posture is incorrect, or the tongue can’t elevate to create an intraoral suction (due to a tongue-tie, muscle impairment, or inability to nasal breathe) then an adaptation must develop.
This is why it is so important to understand why a person has a tongue thrust, not just attempt to fix it.
Read How Myofunctional Therapy and Incorrect Swallowing are Connected.
Do I need myofunctional therapy?
What ages can do myofunctional therapy?
Myofunctional therapy is for ages 4 and over.
When it comes to younger ages, it is important to address myofunctional impairments sooner rather than later because of the time-sensitive window regarding a child’s craniofacial development. The facial development of a child is mostly complete by age 10-12, so waiting can mean possible permanent consequences. However, a child must have voluntary control of the muscles and be old enough to cooperate, comply and comprehend therapy.
Adults can achieve great success with therapy at any age, but again, the sooner the better. It is often disappointing to adults who successfully complete therapy and experience life-changing results, that therapy wasn’t done sooner.
Is myofunctional therapy just tongue exercises?
