Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy
Tongue to Tailbone: Better Function Starts with Better Connection
What is OMT/Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy?
OMT is a therapy that is specific to improving the function of one’s mouth, tongue and facial muscles via exercises and intra-oral work that can be completed over the course of 10-12, 45-minute virtual sessions and in-person for manual therapy
What are typical orofacial myofunctional disorders?
Anything that impacts the ability to properly swallow, chew, nasal breath, or a TMD (temporomandibular dysfunction) can all be classified as myofunctional dysfunctions. These can all directly or indirectly impact the ability to maintain four goals of OMT: closed lips, nostril breathing, tongue up and swallowing effectively.
tongue thrust
tongue weakness
sleep disordered breathing
mouth breathing
TMD
Not only does the alignment of the body have an impact on the jaw, but it can have a cascading impact on the pelvic bowl as well.
When the muscles of the jaw are tight and inflexible, this can be also be akin to muscles of the pelvic bowl. Both need to be addressed.
How does my tongue position impact my pelvic floor?
When the tongue is not resting on the upper palate or the roof of the mouth, it tends to produce mouth breathing. Mouth breathing then decreases the pliability and mobility of the diaphragm which can then have a direct impact on the mobility and resiliency of the pelvic bowl muscles