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Your 3-Step Myofunctional Therapy Action Plan

Are you rolling into the new year with the same old problems, pains and chronic conditions that you’ve been ignoring? Are you wondering how my 3-step myofunctional therapy action plan can help you?

If you’re one of the many people who are nodding your head or raising your hand, I’ve got you. I’ve got you covered because as I sat down to write this myofunctional therapy action plan for you, I first needed to write a problem list for you.

The problem list that I’m going to write below helps you unpack a few of the problems that may be plaguing you, but that you may have zero ideas on how it can be connected to myofunctional impairment.

Now, this problem list is not all-inclusive. But, it is the same stuff that I chat with clients over and over about! I chose the top 3 problems that I see in nearly 100% of my clients.

1. Low Energy & Poor Motivation
2. Poor Breathing
3. Poor Sleep

As a myofunctional therapist, it is so hard for me to segment these three problems and talk about them separately because truly they “run together.” When a person doesn’t breathe right, they don’t oxygenate right. When they don’t breathe right, they don’t function and sleep right. When they don’t sleep right, they are not energetic and motivated. When people are not energetic and motivated, they gain weight, they get depressed and they have anxiety. Which causes more sleep problems. And energy problems. And motivation problems. And further depression problems. And more anxiety problems.

You get it right?

I want to briefly talk about those three problems and how they are related to what I do. Then I will share my 3-Step Myofunctional Therapy Action Plan with you so that you can make 2020 the year that you get off the darn insanity wheel.

Low Energy & Poor Motivation

If you are someone who struggles with anxiety or depression, can I ask how you breathe? Did you know that if you are a mouth breather, you are constantly stimulating the sympathetic nervous system? This is your fight or flight response. You’re constantly running away from that saber-toothed tiger. When you are mouth breathing, usually this also means a low postured tongue. When the tongue is low, it is not stimulating the vagus nerve ending. The vagus nerve helps in the regulation of breathing, digestion, anxiety and more.

Poor Breathing

If you are a mouth breather, you are using your emergency breathing system for daily use. Yes, that’s right. Mouth breathing is designed for emergency use only when the nose is congested (or when you are working out very hard).

Chronic stress is the result of sympathetic overuse. When you continually overuse the sympathetic nervous system, this teaches your brain to function from a sympathetic state rather than a parasympathetic state. By learning to breathe properly, you can control how to respond to stress or relaxation. When you have chronic stress or adrenal fatigue, you may also have poor sleep and anxiety/depression.

Poor Sleep

When you have poor sleep, your body doesn’t get the rejuvenation, restoration, and repair that it needs. The brain doesn’t get to do its housekeeping. Poor sleep and the chronic health consequences related to it put you on the insanity wheel. You won’t ever feel better or be a vital healthy person if you stay on this wheel.

Here is my 3-Step Myofunctional Therapy Action Plan for you.

Myofunctional Therapy Action Plan Step One: Understand

Understanding your myofunctional impairment as a whole is paramount. This isn’t just about a tongue-tie or about TMD or grinding. Get rid of that silo mentality. It is about you. A whole, complex being.

Understanding how your tongue and mouth posture, breathing, chewing and swallowing mechanics relates to your mood, digestion, grinding, sleep and quality of life is the most important first step.

Myofunctional Therapy Action Plan Step Two: Assemble

Assembling your comprehensive health team is next. This starts with your myofunctional therapist as the hub of your wellness wheel. When I work with you, I help you identify the people you need on your team. I’m not the only person you need! I help you find a qualified, experienced frenectomy provider, if necessary. I help you find an airway focused orthodontist, if necessary. I help you get the sleep study you may need. Again, if necessary!

Myofunctional Therapy Action Plan Step Three: Implement

Implementing is putting into action all the steps that I’ve planned.

For some clients, this means myofunctional exam, then a sleep study, then an airway ortho consult, then an ENT consult, then starting myofunctional therapy, then a frenectomy. For others, the implementation may be as easy as myofunctional exam, start therapy and get a frenectomy. It is important that I implement things at the right time.

Where do you get started with your own 3-Step Myofunctional Therapy Action Plan?

If you are new to me, then I might suggest a bit of me-search first. Feel out the situation. Get a feel for your issues. I have a few tools out there that you may find useful.

You can download my assessment tool, or take a quiz. I have a quiz for tongue-tie identification and one for sleep quality/apnea risk. Or do all three. You can’t go wrong!

Another great place to start is to keep learning. Each week I put out valuable information to help my tribe. Whether it’s my latest blog (which you can read here), or a Facebook Live video (watch here), a post in the Tongue-Tie and Myofunctional Therapy Support Group, a tip or trick on Instagram, a video on my YouTube channel or any piece of great info on my website…you won’t have an excuse to ignore problems!

It doesn’t cost you a dime to make a free 30-minute appointment with me to talk about you and what you should do. Start. Today.

About Carmen

Carmen found her path of passion years ago as a dental hygienist. After a stint in graduate school to earn her M.B.A., she left clinical hygiene practice to start her business, Integrative Myofunctional Therapy. In addition to seeing clients in her private online practice, she also teaches the craft of myofunctional therapy in her Myo Mastery Program, coaches dental offices on how to implement myofunctional screening into the daily practice, and speaks frequently in various settings.

Carmen is a provider for the Foundation of Airway Health, where she works diligently for the recognition, diagnosis, and treatment of airway related disorders.

In addition, she is a proud member of several professional associations that afford her the opportunity to learn so that she can help her clients. Her professional memberships include: