Top 5 Benefits of Myofunctional Therapy
Myofunctional Therapy is such a buzz word right now. It seems like everyone is talking about it, and with the perks of social media, there is a lot of information at everyone’s fingertips. But what is it, and how can it help? If you’ve been wondering whether this type of therapy is right for you or your child, here are the top five benefits of myofunctional therapy to help you decide.
1. Better Breathing:
Myofunctional therapy helps eliminate chronic mouth breathing by retraining the tongue, lips, and other muscles to support nasal breathing. This simple change can improve oxygen intake, support immune function, and reduce daytime crankiness and fatigue. For growing children, nasal breathing can also promote proper development of the jaw, palate, and other facial features.
2. Improved Speech & Articulation:
When the tongue rests too low or pushes forward (also called a tongue thrust), it can impact the clarity of speech sounds. Myofunctional therapy works to correct tongue posture and lingual movements, which can then boost the progress made with “traditional” speech therapy—especially with sounds like /s/, /z/, /sh/, /ch/, /j/, /l/, and /r/ (including vocalic/vowelized r).
3. Safer & More Efficient Eating:
Has feeding or ‘picky eating’ been an issue for your child? Problems with gagging, slow or laborious chewing, or being a messy eater can be signs of oral motor weakness which then can lead to inefficient or improper swallowing pattern (such as a reverse swallow). Myofunctional therapy targets the muscles involved in feeding and swallowing, often making mealtimes happier and safer.
4. Restful Sleep:
If you or your child snores, grinds or clenches teeth, wakes up throughout the night, or seems tired, foggy, or cranky despite a full night’s sleep, myofunctional therapy may help. Strengthening the mouth muscles, correcting resting tongue position, and working on efficient and optimal breathing patterns can help open the airway and promotes deeper, more restorative sleep—for both kids and adults.
5. Facial & Dental Development:
Proper tongue posture doesn’t just help with speech—it also supports the optimal development of the jaw, palate, and facial structure. Myofunctional therapy can be a complementary technique to orthodontic treatment in helping to correct muscles imbalances to help ensure the teeth remain in their corrected position. In some cases, myofunctional therapy may even reduce the time or eliminate the need for braces or expanders.
Is Myofunctional Therapy Right for You or Your Child?
At Therapy SPOT, we believe in empowering our clients and families to thrive through evidence-based, whole-person care. One of the most impactful approaches we offer is myofunctional therapy—a gentle, exercise-based treatment that targets the muscles of the mouth and face. For children younger than four, we take an oral motor and feeding approach until the child is older and more capable of participating in myofunctional therapy.
Ready to learn more? Schedule a free 20 minute consultation today. Lisa Downey is a certified and licensed speech-language pathologist who specializes in myofunctional therapy for children, teens, and adults. She takes a warm, fun, and individualized approach to help you or your child thrive!
📍 Therapy SPOT is conveniently located in downtown Fishers, Indiana (right off of I-69) and offers in-person and virtual consultations and therapy.