Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy for a Better Life
No matter what’s impacting your airway (from mouth-breathing to a tongue tie), small changes can mean big results.
Helping Children and Adults Look Different, Feel Refreshed, and Eat, Talk, & Sleep Better
How You Breathe and Hold Your Tongue Impacts More Than You Know
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If you don’t breathe well, you don’t sleep well. And if you don’t sleep well, you’re going to have difficulty thinking, irritability, and decreased productivity. Basically, you’re gonna have a $h*tty day.
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A deep breath, done correctly, calms the nervous system. On the other hand, mouth-breathing activates a constant fight or flight response, making it nearly impossible to concentrate or settle down.
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If you’re mouth breathing instead of breathing properly through your nose, you’re going to have problems. Breathing through your nose improves self-regulation of the nervous system, better sleep, and makes sure each breath has proper air filtration & moisture.
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You can develop right and wrong movement patterns in your mouth or face. You may not even realize the source of your chronic health problems can be traced back to your mouth.
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The tongue is so important! Tongue movement and position impacts breathing, swallowing, speaking, and nervous system function.
When You Address the Airway, the Swallow, the Tongue Posture…
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Sensory Needs Go Down
Less sensory-seeking behaviors and improved self-regulation.
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Picky Eating Decreases
Exploring new foods or improved enjoyment.
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Sleep Improves
Get ready to feel better and think more clearly.
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Facial Aesthetics Change
Improved facial symmetry, tone, and glow.
It’s amazing how much can improve just by changing how you breathe and use the muscles of your face.
Book a free discovery call with our Los Angeles-based team to find out how we can help you.
What is Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy?
Sometimes called orofacial myology, this therapy focuses on retraining the muscles of the tongue and face for improved breathing, swallowing, and chewing. At its core, myofunctional therapy is simply an effective exercise program for your face and your breathing!
Myofunctional disorders are associated with a range of diagnoses including tongue-tie, sleep apnea, sensory processing disorders, and ADHD.
It’s a therapy that treats what are called orofacial myofunctional disorders (OMDs).
If, like many, you’ve never heard of OMDs, here’s a quick list of common orofacial myofunctional disorders
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Incorrect Resting Posture
How you position your tongue or your lips holds tension in your face, impacting aesthetics and breathing.
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Incorrect Swallowing Pattern
Moving the tongue forward instead of up and backward when swallowing (sometimes called tongue-thrust).
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Repetitive Oral Habits
Thumb sucking, prolonged bottle use, finger biting, nail-biting, lip or cheek biting, sucking or licking of lips.
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Mouth Breathing
Chronically breathing through the mouth instead of the nose, meaning the mouth is constantly open, leading to a fight or flight system and increased risk for allergies and strep throat.
A Complete Approach: Combining Myofunctional Therapy With Daily Function
At Airway Academy, you get a comprehensive and thorough program to not only address your airway issues, but to improve your quality of life. We combine specialty knowledge in orofacial myofunctional therapy with advanced clinical experience in occupational and speech therapy.
Our Los Angeles team of OTs and SLPs get practical results by incorporating knowledge about
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Sensory Processing
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Cranial Nerve Integration
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Feeding and Swallowing
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Speech and Articulation
It’s a practical and thorough approach that you won’t find anywhere else. This groundbreaking technique allows us to help even those who continue to have problems after completing traditional speech or occupational therapy.
Signs of Myofunctional Disorders
Not addressing these problems can lead to ongoing dental concerns, stomach problems, difficulty concentrating, developmental delays, and jaw & neck pain.
Myofunctional Therapy is a Cutting Edge Treatment with Ancient Roots
Never heard of orofacial myofunctional therapy before? You’re not alone.
Unfortunately, many medical professionals haven’t incorporated this knowledge into their practice. This is one of the many reasons we’re so often able to help individuals who’ve done traditional therapy before with incomplete results.
However, the knowledge about the importance of breathing has been around for hundreds of years.
It’s why the breathwork used in yoga helps to calm the mind and body. It’s also why breathing was used to calm and improve performance for ancient warriors and continues to be part of training programs for athletes today.
Modern research provides further support for this ancient wisdom.
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Improves bite and tongue position while swallowing food
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Improves the function of the tongue, lips, and jaw muscles for clearer speech
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Effective treatment when combined with a frenectomy
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Improves sleep challenges related to disordered breathing
Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy
Myofunctional therapy offers a powerful new perspective on how problems are assessed and addressed. Everything changes when you START by looking for potential airway issues and address those as part of improving everyday function.
We combine expertise from our training in occupational and speech therapy with myofunctional therapy to provide cutting-edge treatment.
For Adults
TMJ and jaw misalignment
Clenching
Teeth grinding
Sleep apnea
Headaches
Neck pain
Open bite
Restless sleep
Success for Your Child
A Glimpse Into How Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy Works
Our approach focuses on activating the proper nerves and repeating movements until new motor habits are formed.
This is Achieved Through…
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Exercises to retrain muscles so they fire correctly for eating, breathing, and swallowing
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Restoring correct resting posture of the tongue, face, jaw, and neck
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Referring to the right specialists for dental appliances or medical concerns
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Training for correct nasal breathing, with mouth closed
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Waking up the posterior and/or lateral sides of the tongue for optimal swallowing and resting position
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Addressing hypersensitivity of the nose or face related to mouth-breathing
About Doctor Marielly
MARIELLY MITCHELL, OTD, OTR/L, SWC, SIPT
In her attempt to work through those frustrating plateaus in therapy, Doctor Marielly created an innovative approach to working with clients that incorporates concepts from sensory processing, myofunctional therapy, cranial nerve integration, and feeding & swallowing.
By untangling the complicated influences of the nervous system, her work is revolutionizing how challenges for children and families are assessed and addressed.
Doctor Marielly is committed to helping each family and therapist discover the root causes behind functional challenges. No surface-level, ineffective therapy around here.
Follow our journey
