Myofunctional therapy is an exercise program for the muscles around your face, mouth, and tongue. These exercises are designed to improve certain issues.

Research has found that myofunctional therapy may also be an effective treatment for sleep-disordered breathing. Sleep-disordered breathing is a group of sleep conditions that cause a reduction in airflow through your upper airways. It includes heavy snoring and obstructive sleep apnea.

Myofunctional therapy treatment is safe and inexpensive, which makes it an attractive alternative to other treatments such as surgery.

In this article, we look at myofunctional therapy, how it works, and what therapy consists of.

Myofunctional therapy is an exercise program that helps treat myofunctional disorders. OMDs are movements that are not normal. They can be caused by something.

  • The passages were blocked.
  • Anything that causes a The tongue position is on the left side..
  • The sucking and chewing habits of children past 3 years old.

Myofunctional therapy uses exercises to help with face and mouth structures. These exercises teach you how to move more efficiently. Specifically, they aim to improve.

  • The tongue position is on the left side.
  • The lip seal is made of lip seal.
  • The breathing is not easy.

There’s evidence that myofunctional therapy may help:

There’s some evidence that myofunctional therapy, together with surgery, can help treat the symptoms associated with tongue-tie. There’s also some weak evidence that it can help treat temporomandibular (TMJ) disorder.

When the muscles that support the soft tissue in your throat relax, you can sleep with sleep apnea.

Myofunctional therapy aims to improve the function of muscles in the upper airway and help keep your airways open. It may also help reposition your tongue and improve The breathing is not easy. to keep the airways clear.

Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is often the first treatment option for obstructive sleep apnea. This treatment uses a hose and mask to deliver consistent air pressure while you’re sleeping. It can be effective, but about half of people stop using CPAP treatment over time.

A small 2017 study found that adding myofunctional therapy to CPAP helped people stick with the treatment.

Myofunctional therapy is like physical therapy for your face. This type of therapy is provided by a healthcare professional with a certification in myofunctional training from the International Association of Orofacial Myology.

Your myofunctional therapist will create a treatment plan to retrain your muscles and improve your function. Your plan will include exercises to help you with your condition.

A wide variety of myofunctional exercises are available. One 2020 study even had participants play the didgeridoo, an Australian musical instrument, for 4 months to treat snoring and sleep apnea.

Examples of exercises your therapist may have you perform include:

  • Tongue touches. Push the tip of your tongue against your hard palate and slide your tongue backward 20 times.
  • Tongue presses. Suck your tongue upward against your palate, pressing your entire tongue against your palate 20 times.
  • Teeth touches. Force the back of your tongue against the roof of your mouth while keeping the tip in contact with your bottom front teeth 20 times.
  • Uvula raises. Elevate your soft palate and uvula while saying the vowel “A” 20 times.
  • Balloon inflation. Blow up a balloon by taking 5 large breaths through your nose and exhaling into the balloon as much as you can.
  • Yogurt suction. Your therapist may have you suck yogurt through a narrow straw.
  • Party horn. Your therapist could have you exercise by blowing through a party horn.

Researchers are looking at the benefits of myofunctional therapy for different OMDs. The strongest evidence to date shows that myofunctional therapy can treat sleep-disordered breathing conditions.

A 2021 review of studies found strong evidence that myofunctional therapy has a positive effect on reducing sleep apnea. The researchers classified the level of evidence as “1a,” according to the Oxford Center for Evidence-Based Medicine 2011 guidelines. 1a means that it has the highest level of evidence.

The researchers found that myofunctional therapy improves snoring and self-reported daytime sleepiness in people with sleep-disordered breathing.

A 2015 review of studies found that myofunctional therapy decreased obstructive sleep apnea symptoms by approximately 50 percent in adults and 62 percent in children.

Myofunctional therapy is an exercise program that trains the muscles around your face, tongue, and mouth. Research shows that it may be helpful for reducing sleep apnea, snoring, and other conditions affecting your mouth or throat.

Your treatment may include a variety of exercises. A myofunctional therapist can help you with your treatment program.