A profile view of human facial anatomy showing facial muscles and tendons

Myofunctional Therapy in Stroudsburg, PA

Did you know that strengthening the muscles in your lips, tongue, mouth, and throat can help resolve problems ranging from speech impediments to snoring?

The term “myofunctional therapy” describes a customized selection of exercises that strengthen the muscles in the lips, tongue, mouth, and throat. By strengthening these muscles, patients can improve oral processes like chewing, speaking clearly, breathing properly, and swallowing. Building strength of this sort can help to resolve the causes of several orofacial impairments, like difficulty breathing and improper jaw alignment.

Can you benefit from Myofunctional Therapy?

Individuals who stand to benefit from myofunctional therapy often exhibit the following behaviors:

  • Snoring at night (or while napping during the day)
  • Frequent neck pain and tension headaches
  • Teeth grinding during sleep
  • Pain or popping in the jaw
  • Frequent nasal congestion or allergies
  • Acid reflux and heartburn
  • Having tongue-tie or tongue thrust

Many of these health issues are either partially caused by or exacerbated by poorly developed orofacial muscles. The THRIVE Sleep & Breathing team is specially trained to recommend a program of exercises that strengthen the orofacial muscles to reduce or, even eliminate, the associated underlying health conditions.

Poor Jaw Development in Relation to Sleep-Disordered Breathing

Dr. Nolf explains why sleep-disordered breathing has become more common in recent decades and covers the root causes of poorly developed jaw muscles. Dr. Nolf also notes symptoms of sleep-disordered breathing and names several health issues linked to breathing conditions.

Why should I consider Myofunctional Therapy?

Many people who deal with breathing issues struggle to sleep properly, and the symptoms that their oral development causes can interfere with daily life. These conditions can impact adults and children alike and many people don’t realize there are effective, non-invasive treatments available.

Myofunctional therapy does not involve pharmaceutical medications, surgical procedures, or invasive and costly laser therapies. It is a safe, completely natural alternative to treat the underlying health issue and produce long-term results. Additionally, once the patient is comfortable with the program, the exercises can be done at-home at his or her convenience without the need for an office visit.

Similar to a traditional “physical therapy” approach, a THRIVE myofunctional specialist simply monitors the patient’s progress with regular visits and reevaluates the patient’s symptom’s orofacial muscle structure, and overall health periodically. From there, the THRIVE team and the patient can determine whether the exercises are effective, or whether changes need to be made to the myofunctional therapy plan to ensure full progress.

If you experience one or more of the above-mentioned symptoms, and you’d like to take advantage of natural, non-invasive treatment options, we welcome you to contact Thrive Sleep & Breathing. Schedule an evaluation with one of our helpful staff members. Thrive Sleep & Breathing will ensure that you’re seen by medical professionals that can assist you in strengthening your facial muscles, without medications or surgeries.