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 access to social media, there is a lot of information (some good, some not so good) 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 to reduce or even eliminate chronic mouth breathing by retraining the tongue, lips, and other muscles in order to facilitate nasal breathing. This impactful 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 adversely affect the clarity of speech sounds. Myofunctional therapy works to correct tongue posture and lingual movements, which can then accelerate progress made with “traditional” speech therapy—especially with speech sounds /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 are often signs of oral motor weakness which can lead to an 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 posture, and working on an efficient and ideal breathing pattern can help open the airway and promote deeper, more restorative sleep—for both kids and adults.
5. Facial & Dental Development:
Proper tongue position 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 muscle 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 with holistic, evidence-based care. One of the most effective interventions we offer is myofunctional therapy—a gentle, fun, exercise-based treatment that targets the muscles of the mouth and face. For children younger than four, we take an age-appropriate oral motor and feeding approach until the child is older and more capable of actively participating in myofunctional therapy.
Want 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 succeed!
📍 Therapy SPOT is conveniently located in downtown Fishers, Indiana (right off of I-69) and offers in-person evaluations, consultations, and therapy, as well as virtual therapy for those who are unable to meet in person.