Myofunctional Therapy

What is Myofunctional Therapy?

Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy, also known as "myo," is like physical therapy for the face. Specialized exercises help retrain the muscles and movement patterns of the face, tongue, soft palate, head, and neck to help optimize breathing, tongue placement, swallowing, chewing, and speech. It is a highly effective method of improving or correcting habits of those with orofacial myofunctional disorders (OMDs). It is all about changing habits and improving the way we breathe, speak, chew and swallow.

Myofunctional therapy teaches precise movements and placement of the tongue, along with muscle control. If the muscles and tongue are not working properly, an individual can have trouble producing certain sounds. Myofunctional therapy does not replace speech therapy but can be an adjunct to speech therapy and can help with results.

The goal is to help patients become more aware of their oral and facial muscles and learn to utilize these muscles correctly. When the tongue is resting in the right place and breathing is happening exclusively through the nose, many problematic symptoms become resolved. When performing a comprehensive myofunctional exam, my primary focus is the airway. The tongue strength and position will have a significant impact on the airway.

Therapy is personalized and tailored to your needs. It is carefully structured with each session progressively building on the one before it. Treatment starts with improving oral and facial muscle strength, and then retraining proper muscle function (i.e. swallowing, eating, speech, tongue-tie, sleep apnea exercises, depending on your symptoms).