What is Myofunctional Therapy?
Photo by Jonathan Borba on Unsplash
Orofacial myofunctional disorders (OMDs) are abnormal movement patterns of the face and mouth. Physiotherapists with training in this area can help to retrain the muscles of your lips, tongue and jaw so that you can obtain normal tongue movements and resting posture.
About Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders
Children, teenagers, and adults may suffer from OMDs. OMDs may interfere with normal growth and development of the muscles and bones of the face and mouth. OMDs may also interfere with how the muscles of the face and mouth are used for eating, talking, and breathing. People who have an OMD may also have problems with talking, swallowing, and breathing through their nose. Some people push out their tongue when they talk, drink, or eat. This is called tongue thrusting or fronting, and it is one type of OMD.
Signs and Symptoms
Just because a person has some or all of these symptoms does not mean that they have an OMD. A physiotherapist can evaluate the individual to determine if an OMD exists. Some signs of an OMD may include the following:
Someone who always breathes through the mouth or has difficulty breathing through the nose.
Limited tongue movement. Eating may be messy or difficult. Keep in mind that it is normal for babies to stick their tongue out and push food out of their mouth. Over time, they do this less.
An overbite, underbite, and/or other dental problems. The tongue pushing past the teeth, even when a person is not talking or using the tongue.
Difficulty saying some sounds accurately, like “s” in sun, “sh” in ship, or “j” in jump.
Drooling, especially beyond age 2.
Difficulty closing the lips to swallow.
Causes
There is not a known, single cause of OMDs. OMDs may be caused by several factors:
Blocked nasal passages because of tonsil size or allergies. When the nasal passages are blocked, people may need to breathe through their mouth instead.
Anything that causes the tongue to be misplaced at rest or makes it difficult to keep the lips together at rest.
Sucking and chewing habits past the age of 3 years.
Testing for Orofacial Myofunctional Disorder
You may see a few professionals to find out if you or your child has an OMD. These professionals may include:
Dentist
Orthodontist
Doctor
Physiotherapist
Speech Language Pathologist
Your dentist and orthodontist will look at your or your child’s teeth and see how the jaw moves. Doctors can test for allergies and check for interference of tonsils and adenoids. Physiotherapists can provide manual therapy and exercises to improve orofacial function.
Physiotherapy Treatment for Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders
After breathing problems are medically evaluated and treated, a physiotherapist can help you or your child do the following:
Pay closer attention to their mouth and facial movements.
Know where their tongue and mouth muscles are when they speak, drink, eat, and rest.
Say sounds more clearly.
Change how they chew and swallow.
Practice different breathing patterns.
Myofunctional Exercises
The following exercises will help to retrain the muscles of the lips, tongue, and jaw to allow for proper movement and resting postures. Book an assessment with a physiotherapist to determine which exercises are most appropriate for you, and for a recommended frequency.
1. Puff cheeks
Put a little bit of warm salt water in your mouth. Push the water and puff your cheek and lips – starting with the right cheek and moving towards the lips, and to the left cheek. Hold for 5 seconds in each position.
2. Wrinkle nose
Wrinkle your nose and stretch your upper lip. Count for 20 seconds.
3. Button pull
Attach two buttons (about as big as a toonie) to a string. Put one button inside your lips but outside your teeth. Pull the string and try to hold the button with your lips until it pops out. Do this on the right, centre, and left side of your mouth.
4. Marshmallow twist
Attach a small object to the end of a string. Place the non-weighted end of the string in your mouth. Use the muscles of your face to pull the sting and weight up to your mouth.
5. Tongue waggle
Move your tongue back and forth, touching the tip of your tongue to the corners of your mouth. Just move your tongue – keep your jaw still.
6. Tongue point and trace
Point the tip of your tongue to the spot on the roof of your mouth just behind your teeth. Hold for 10 seconds and then slowly trace back to the area where the roof of your mouth becomes soft – this is your soft palate.
Questions? Contact us or book an appointment now!