Speech, Language, and Myofunctional Therapy 

Hi, I'm Sheridan, the myofunctional therapist here at Lanz Integrated Therapies. I like to think of myofunctional therapy as physical therapy for the face and mouth.

​

Some people, for a wide variety of reasons, aren't able to maintain proper tongue posture and breathing patterns throughout the day and night. Sometimes the cause is structural, like a tongue tie, and other times it’s because of a learned pattern. For example, let's say a bad cold makes it hard to breathe through your nose. Most of the time, nasal breathing naturally returns after recovery. But occasionally, the muscles can keep holding onto that same mouth-breathing habit long after it's actually needed.

​​​

The muscles of our face are responsible for essential functions like breathing, chewing, swallowing, and talking. When they aren't working in harmony, they can be associated with* health complications such as:

​

• Snoring, sleep apnea, or unrefreshing sleep

• Chronic pain or tension in the jaw, neck, or shoulders

• Teeth shifting back after braces

• Chronic nasal congestion or allergies

• Frequent headaches or migraines

• Speech sound errors or a lisp

​

The good news is that these patterns are trainable. Treatment involves a personalized set of exercises, typically practiced 2–3 times a day, that help retrain the muscles toward healthier function. For kids, we turn this into play, so it feels more like a game than a task. Structural contributors (e.g., enlarged tonsils) are also identified, with referrals made to the appropriate provider as needed. After all, even the best exercises can only do so much if the underlying anatomy is working against them.

​

*The strength of evidence varies by condition. The link between orofacial myofunctional patterns and sleep-disordered breathing is well-documented — mouth breathing and low tongue posture are associated with airway restriction during sleep. Evidence connecting these patterns to some of the other issues listed is more limited or still emerging.