My kids were ignored, heed my warning: Don’t let doctors ignore yours

It took 10 years and a pediatric dentist for me to realize that I was a terrible mother. I fell into the trap of taking the pediatrician at her word. She said they would grow out of these problems, she advised medication for years before I regretfully succumbed, and she said it was all normal.

I’ll admit I started out motherhood at a deficit. I was just shy of 19 years old when I had him and 21 when I had her.

I tried desperately to breastfeed him as an infant, but his birth was fast and my recovery complicated, so we settled for bottle feeding. He was the perfect baby for the first 6 months. Most of the day was eating and sleeping with occasional quiet playtime. The moment we crossed over 6 months was a turn for his health. We battled stomach viruses that seemed to come one after the other, and sleeping became an issue so we co-slept. Which meant he slept while I dealt with blows from kicking and rolling all night.

He turned 2 and one month later he was a big brother. I resented her for coming into our lives and disrupting the time and attention I had for him. Looking back, I know I had postpartum because resent was a mild way of putting it.

With her, I didn’t want to go through the health struggles he has, so we were successful at breastfeeding. Almost without much effort from me. The only vice she had was thumb sucking. Though, admittedly, I was initially thankful for that, as he dropped his pacifier often and I knew I wouldn’t have to deal with her dropping her thumb on the floor of a retail store and wanting to place it back in.

By the time she hit 6 months, she was a loved and well-accepted member of our trio. However, we ceased being a trio by the time she was 3. I met my husband and we made 3 a full family of five.

Insert chaos. He became a kindergartner, she stopped being potty trained and the baby girl S was an around the clock breast-feeder. The baby seemed to never be satiated, was particularly fussy, and had very poor sleep habits.

From kindergarten, teachers told me that they suspected he had issues. He was particularly “energetic” and difficult to “focus.” The pediatrician thought the teachers were too eager to label him with ADHD. At those appointments, I also mentioned that she, at age 3 then, would not sleep through the night, routinely wet the bed, and has numerous accidents during the day. The pediatrician wrote that off too as regression due to baby S.

Acceptable. I could and would wait it out. Only many of those problems never went away. Breastfeeding never got better and ended before I was ready due to a lack of supply. Sleep and fussiness was a consistent problem. He continued to struggle with attention as he moved up in grades.

By the time he was in 5th grade, we expanded from a group of 5 to 6 and we finally succumbed to the inevitable neurology evaluation.

All the while, his stomach issues persisted, she continued to amplify her sleep issues with daily bed-wetting, night terrors, and sleepwalking. Baby S, surprisingly thrived as a big sister with no signs of regression but suffered from repeated ear and throat infections. Baby L, struggled with breastfeeding and after two bouts of mastitis, we called it quits. My home was full of love but swimming in health issues. All of which were deemed “normal” and to be outgrown.

His ADHD was officially diagnosed, and after two years of resisting medication, we gave in. The girls maintained sleep issues and cycles of antibiotics for routine infections. I was the mom that would respond with a generic, “good,” when asked how the kids were.

But they weren’t good, I knew it. Motherhood is many things, but devoid of intuition it is not. I wanted help and often Googled in search of it, but nothing helped. How could I stop medicating my kids, buying night diapers for her at 10 years old, and suffering in silence?

The dentist. All I needed was a great dentist. I began working for one and in the interview, she went over airway dentistry in great length and insisted that if I wanted the job I needed to be knowledgeable and an advocate of it. I understood mildly at that moment what it meant, but it wasn’t until my kids were in the chair not long after that I fully comprehended Airway Centered Disorder (ACD).

Every single one of them had issues all directly related to their breathing. His ADHD and digestion problems, her sleep issues and persistent thumb sucking, and S & L’s ear and throat infections and nursing problems. It was always present in their facial features, oral development, and sleep habits. Just never diagnosed.

The restless sleep with tossing and turning at night. The open mouths with a tongue that would rest in between the lips. The dark circles under the eyes and chubby cheeks. The crowded teeth and thumbsucking. The hyperactivity and inability to focus. All of it tells a story of a child with an ACD.

All of it missed by the pediatrician who routinely saw my family for various issues. Yet, all I ever received, in hindsight, was palliative care that kept symptoms down for a little while or no care because they would outgrow the sleep problems.

If the medical field was aware of what so many in the dental field are coming to understand, my children would not have been ignored. S & L would have received tongue tie releases during infancy. He and she would have had a sleep study as toddlers and received treatment for their apnea.

I dove deep into myofunctional therapy, dental appliances, alternative therapies, the impact of diet, and ACD. Parent to parent, after over $10K in continuing education, I know now where I went wrong and I do NOT want you to repeat my mistakes.

4 Steps to Getting Help for Airway Centered Disorder

1. Monitor everything

How often is your child sick with a routine cold, allergies, or even asthma? How do they sleep at night? Do they mouth breathe? Do you see their tongue frequently when they talk? Are they very picky eaters, have a strong gag reflex, chew loud or messy, eat very fast, or very slow? Do they maintain dark circles under their eyes or baby like chubby cheeks?

To a certain extent, some of these things are okay when seen infrequently. Having an ear or throat infection once or twice a year with the change of seasons is not something to worry over. But having chronic infections is a concern. Note exactly what you experience with your child because it will be important when you are in front of a medical or dental professional.

2. Insist on screenings

While not right, you may experience push-back from your pediatrician or possibly dentist. Not everyone is trained in ACD and it’s impact on the growing child. Inform your pediatrician that you would like a referral to a sleep physician. Ear, Nose, and Throat doctor (ENT) referrals are usually best after a sleep study because it calls the notoriously underpaid ENT to action. Sleep apnea can be fatal in adults and is detrimental to child development, growth, and health. Your child with swollen tonsils or adenoids that prevent nasal breathing can be easily dismissed by an ENT. You should be armed with a sleep study or at least the knowledge that your child does not need further intervention in the medical field.

A diagnosis of no sleep apnea is great, but if you see other signs that your child has an ACD consult with a myofunctional therapist. We treat mouth breathing by establishing proper oral resting habits through exercises and activities.

3. Do your research

Knowledge is power. You cannot change the past and all the things you did not know, but you can impact the future. Establish a strong foundation of research on the impact of ACD on health and development.

Foundation for Airway Health, American Academy of Physiological Medicine and Dentistry, and this Airway Matters blog are all excellent resources to start your journey.

I did a Breathe for Health webinar that breaks down myofunctional therapy and how it can positively impact the effects of ACD. In 45 minutes you come to understand the signs and symptoms and the 3 step process of treatment.

4. Establish your team

Treating an ACD is hardly ever just a one-stop solution. A team can consist of a dentist and a bodyworker. A dentist and an ENT. A sleep physician and myofunctional therapist. A lactation consultant and an ENT. A speech therapist and dentist. There are a number of options and sometimes more than two providers are essential for successful treatment. Know how to proceed once you determine that there is a problem.

Stand your ground

As a parent, there are many different things people will tell you about your child. Your instincts trump it all. You know when something is not right, or feels off. Don’t be passive with their health and accept palliative care, like I did. Take a stand for them and positively impact their health for their lifetime.

Resources

Find journal articles, professional research, peer-reviewed studies and clinical evidence all compiled in one source that support the existence and clinical treatment of ACD here.

If you are a mother of small children or babies, you can intervene early to minimize or eliminate treatment in the future. Read our e-guide Avoid Braces Naturally.

Featured by airwaymatters

An airway issue has been identified…now what?

So you had what you thought was going to be a routine dental or medical evaluation and your provider has just informed you that you and/or your child has a breathing or airway issue. You are understandably confused and possibly have been given too much information about a problem you never knew existed.

You have landed in the right place! I will break down the logistics of some information you have been given, possibly give you more you didn’t think of and present you with a to-do list so you know how to proceed.

All was well and right with the world until that visit. You knew your body and/or your child and there were no words other than healthy to describe you. Yet, a few questions and one exam later knocked down all the blocks in the tower you were building.

Here’s what you should know:

Mouthbreathing is ineffective and inhibits your body from functioning optimally. The visible signs that your doctor may have noticed are in the graphic below. These are the tip of the iceberg in diagnostic signs of an orofacial myofunctional disorder (OMD).

An OMD is an inability to utilize proper oral or facial muscle function. Characterized by over or underutilization of muscles when breathing, masticating (chewing) and/or swallowing.
There is no official way to predict the future health implications of OMDs. Airway issues and dysfunctions have been tied to sleep apnea, asthma, eczema, TMJ disorders, ADHD/ADD, daytime sleepiness, tongue thrust, speech issues, enlarged tonsils/adenoids, snoring, grinding, messy/loud eating, picky eating, slow labored eating, poor dental arch formation, malaligned teeth, poor facial development, anxiety, poor emotional regulation, frequent congestion, and proneness to allergies.
Not all tongue ties need to be released. There is a functional and non-functional tongue. The decision for a release should always include a myofunctional therapist, even if just for a consultation. Craniosacral therapists and Osteopathic physicians are also great to consult for eligibility to release. Read more about them below in part 2.
We spend 1/3 of our lives sleeping and there is no more critical bodily process than breathing, yet medical and dental schools spend less than 10 hours studying both. With the exception of specialists, medical school graduates are mostly unaware of sleep disordered breathing and orofacial myofunctional disorders. In fact, in most cases where a knowledgeable dental provider indicates an OMD and the patient/parent goes back to their primary care physician, the physician will disregard or dismiss the issue.
While there are many possible causative factors for OMDs, the only preventative measures that can be considered are to have newborns evaluated for lip and tongue tie, breastfeed for 1-2 years without regular bottle supplementation, do not introduce a pacifier or take away a pacifier at or before 6 months of age, do not introduce sippy cups, go from breast to regular cup or cup with straw, allow babies to have tummy time, limit baby sleeping in unnatural positioners (walker, rocker, swing, bouncer, carrier), and discourage thumb, finger, tongue or object sucking. The aforementioned measures can help reduce the risk of a child developing an OMD but is not guaranteed. Some hereditary, genetic and otherwise elusive factors are involved.
You are not alone. Due to our diets, fast-paced society, and perceived norms many people have OMDs that are undiagnosed. Hard crunchy foods are not the integral part of the diet as it used to be. Caffeine is the stimulant used to power the body and keep it alert and awake, as opposed to adequate oxygenation and sleep. Snoring, painful breastfeeding and needing braces are all considered normal in society, as opposed to signs of airway problems. If you took a walk down a city street and watched carefully, it is a good prediction to say that 70% of the people you pass will have an open mouth and one or more other signs from the graphic above.
There are solutions, but you have to be prepared and fully aware of the time and financial commitment that it will require. If you take your steps wisely, you may be able to get some financial help from both medical and dental insurance to help reduce costs in some areas.

Which leads us to

What on earth do you do with all this new information? How do you apply it and where do you go from here?

The detailed plan

Assemble your team
1. Dentist- A progressive dentist that specializes in sleep and/or airway dentistry. This dentist does all types of “typical” dental services such as examinations, fillings and preventative care. However, they also evaluate for tongue ties, airway obstruction, screen for sleep issues and utilize orthopedic or orthodontic appliances to expand the airway. They can offer you dental solutions for sleep problems.
2. Sleep Physician- A sleep specialist can consult with you and determine your need for a sleep study. A sleep study is used to monitor your brain and vital activity while sleeping. The physician will read the results of the study and determine if there were episodes of obstructive breathing or poor sleep quality. In some cases, a sleep study that results in a diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea can warrant your medical insurance to reimburse or pay for dental appliances to expand the airway. A specially trained dentist (general or pediatric) or an oral maxillofacial surgeon can perform releases of tongue or lip ties.
3. Bodyworker- This team member can feel and manipulate tensions, pains, and dysfunctions in the body. An osteopath is a medical doctor that specialized in osteopathic medicine. These doctors are often recommended by dentists who utilize the orthodontic appliances. Alternatively, a craniosacral therapist works with the cranium, spine and pelvic area. They are certified professionals who have at least 2-3 years of training and clinical experience. Sometimes trained in orthodontic appliances, bodyworkers understand how to symmetrically balance the growth of the palate with the entire cranium. With tongue ties and other body restrictions or tensions, they may be able to perform treatments to alleviate the tension or manipulate the restriction. In most cases, neither of these professionals are covered by insurances but may qualify for out-of-network reimbursement.
4. Myofunctional therapist- A myofunctional therapist or orofacial myologist is a speech-language pathologist, dental hygienist or dentist that has pursued additional education and training for the treatment of OMDs. This professional can work with patients to help them establish proper oral resting posture. They are also able to help eliminate noxious oral habits, such as thumb sucking, nail biting or prolonged pacifier use. These professionals are able to assess the functionality of a tongue frenum to determine if the tongue is functionally or non-functionally tied.
5. ENT- An ear, nose, and throat doctor can evaluate the airway for obstructions. They will determine if the obstruction is capable of rehabilitation without surgical intervention.
Make modifications accordingly
1. Change the diet. Along this journey, various members of your team will inform you that gluten, dairy, processed foods, and sugar all increase body inflammation. If you have an airway obstruction, the first and easiest change to make is in the diet.
2. Perform nasal hygiene. Just as you would brush your teeth daily, cleanse the nasal passages with a saline rinse daily.
3. Try natural solutions. Nasal strips can help to open the nasal passages. Sleeping on your side can help you to breathe better. Eliminate sucking objects (bottles, sippy cups and pacifiers) for young children. Be aware of your mouth posture and close the lips comfortably together to consciously nasal breathe.
Research, Research, RESEARCH
1. Don’t take everything you hear from your professionals and hold onto it. Process the information internally, and add the wealth of information available online from various professionals. Remember, you are not alone. There are blogs from professionals (like this one), blogs from individuals who chronical their journeys, peer-reviewed journal articles and research available for you to review online.

Once you know more, you are able to not just do better, but also BE better. It is a long and hard journey, but there is significant light at the end of the tunnel. You are strong enough to complete this journey.

Continue to follow this blog for more helpful posts that may guide you along the way.

November 5, 2018November 5, 2018 by airwaymatters

5 Things You Need To Know Before Starting Myofunctional Therapy And Everything I Wish I Knew

Ready to take your breathing and health in a new positive direction? Myofunctional therapy may very well provide you with relief from the negative manifestations of sleep disordered breathing and airway centered disorders.

As a parent of four children who did myofunctional therapy as an adjunctive natural treatment method for ADHD, sleep disorders, dental crowding, frequent congestion, and poor eating habits, AND as a practicing therapist, I have clear knowledge of the process. This is everything I wish I knew and everything you need to know before you begin myofunctional therapy.

It is a commitment

Myofunctional therapy is like having a personal trainer for all the muscles below the eyes and above the shoulders. They work to strengthen and coordinate those orofacial and oropharyngeal muscles for proper oral resting posture. This is accomplished through learning various exercises and activities on a regular basis until new neuromuscular patterning has occurred and habituation is established.

Whether the therapy is for you or for a child, remain conscious of the fact that therapy is designed to retrain the habits you have established from at or shortly after birth. Years of poor habits must be relearned and adjusted. You will be required to go home and practice your exercises daily. Eventually, exercises evolve into daily life integration and you must actively monitor your orofacial muscle movements and coordination while you perform daily tasks.

Myofunctional therapy involves much more than the time you have to spend actively working with the therapist weekly or bi-weekly, it requires daily commitment.

It is varied

No two therapists will work the same type of program. The field of myofunctional therapy is continually growing and evolving. Often times therapists share case successes, failures, and struggles to learn from each other. The programs that are taught are not yet regulated to be exactly the same. Which is to the benefit of the patients. It requires a therapist to seek out further education and courses, as well as expose them to a basic fact: people are different.

What would work best for you in a myofunctional therapy program is not what would work best for another person. You may present with specific problems or concerns that require certain exercises and the elimination of others. It is imperative that you speak and consult with a few myofunctional therapists to determine who would work best for your concerns.

It is collaborative

While myofunctional therapy is a great natural treatment for a myriad of eating, breathing, and sleeping issues, it hardly ever is the only treatment used. A team of medical and dental professionals often will work together to accomplish your health goals. Often your myofunctional therapist will have various methodologies they use to increase efficiency or enable goals to be accomplished within their program. Expect to need more than just myofunctional therapy and plan accordingly.

It changes your appearance

Strengthening and coordinating proper orofacial muscle movement will improve your facial appearance. The cheeks become less flaccid, the palate becomes wider, the lips strengthen, the teeth shift, and the posture improves. You may notice more physical changes in your pain levels, daily energy, health, and sleep in addition to your appearance. Photographs are usually taken at the beginning of treatment to be compared to the final visit.

Changes are slow and usually difficult to see as you progress through the program. You see yourself daily and gradual results are hard to observe. Do not be surprised to see a new you in the treatment photographs.

It can not be short-cutted

The internet is an amazing and destructive thing. We are offered ample opportunities to seek out information and fulfill needs rapidly. Because myofunctional therapy is a collaborative effort, it often is not done when other traditional medical and dental treatments are draining the budget. The internet has filled the void for everything you need to be done and can not afford.

When it comes to health, there are no shortcuts. Youtube videos are available that have a few or even a series of myofunctional therapy exercises. Many people assume that it can be done through videos alone. The problem with that theory is it disregards coordination and habituation. What specific exercises will address your concerns? What order do the exercises follow to establish new patterning? How do you tackle roadblocks for exercises you are unable to perform? Can you determine whether you are performing exercises with the isolation of the muscles involved in that process?

There are many questions that someone without training would be unable to answer. There are some questions that even some therapists with training are unable to answer. The only way to guarantee results and optimal care is to work with a therapist. Alternatives exist when the budget has little to no wiggle room.

I personally struggled initially trying to treat my four children on a budget. Heed my advice and learn from my mistakes. The path to this natural treatment method is paved with dedication, variation, collaboration, change, and no shortcuts.

October 29, 2018October 29, 2018 by airwaymatters

The Parent Guide to Child Dental Visits: From Cleanings to Check-Up- Know More Than Your Dentist and Ease Anxiety

Visiting the right pediatric dentist got my children’s health in order. We had information and a plan to end sleepless nights, behavioral issues, rounds of antibiotics and medications.

We are in an incredible time in healthcare. Science and clinical evidence are finally connecting some sleep, breathing, behavioral, and developmental health issues oral development. How do you get the proper screening your child deserves?

Airway Focused Practices

Understanding the importance of proper oral development for an optimally wide airway is essential. The tongue is the blueprint for the optimal development of the oral cavity. In proper resting posture the tongue sits up against the roof of the mouth and it guides the growth of the maxilla and development of the face.

While there are many dentists throughout the United States, there are few that are airway focused and trained in the etiology of narrow oral cavities. This knowledge is critical in getting your child care that encompasses their overall wellness and goes well beyond the presence of cavities or not.

Know What To Look For

An airway focused pediatric or general dentist will ask a more detailed medical history than expected. They need to understand any known birth, breastfeeding, developmental, sleep, oral habit, and dental history. As they progress through this complete medical history they get a picture of any further screening needed for treatment or referral.

Induction, birth traumas, and difficulty latching for breastfeeding can be indications for tethered oral tissues, mouth-breathing, and poor oral development. Developmental delays and behavioral problems can be indicators for certain dental appliances and possible sleep study referral. Oral habits, grinding, snoring, mouth breathing at night are indicators of possible sleep study referral, cavities, and a potential need for early orthodontic intervention.

Have a thorough knowledge of your child’s full medical history prior to going to your appointment. Observe mouth posture, sleep, and eating habits. The more you can fill in the blanks, the more accurate your dental provider can be with their suggested treatment and referrals.

When You Have Suspicions

If you suspect that your child may be tongue-tied, have cavities, or an airway centered disorder, do not give them too much information. When parents come in nervous for their children, that anxiety is not only felt by the child, it feeds into their mood. Most pediatric offices are full of staff trained to show, tell and do. Relax and be honest with your child, without giving too much information.

The show, tell, do technique is taught in dental schools that requires all steps in the dental visit are shown to the child and verbally told before they are done. Dental hygienists are typically very engaging with young anxious children and can ease fears by explaining the cleaning. The “scary” instruments, dental chair, x-ray machine, and dentist are all discussed in a special lighthearted way using age-appropriate wording and analogies where necessary. In most cases, it is confusing to the child to have their parent explain something one way and the dental staff explains it differently.

This includes any treatment that is determined by the doctor. Should your child have cavities, need a tongue tie release, or is referred to be seen by a specialist, do not discuss the treatment needs in front of the child. Allow the child to play in a waiting room or common area while you discuss any concerns you have and get all your questions answered. The best way to translate a need for treatment usually involves phrasing such as:

“Your teeth are sick and we will return for medicine”

“This doctor thinks you’re special and would like to see your tongue and/or teeth again for a special visit.”

“You were chosen to see another special doctor”

Identifying The Right Dentist

When it comes to rectifying prior negative experiences, the right dentist is important. Not all pediatric offices are created equal. You can call the office and request an after-hours appointment with the dentist to consult with them about your prior experiences and how you want future visits to go. While you may not get a long meeting with the doctor, you will get to speak with them and get a “feel” for the office.

Also, call the office and find out if they are airway focused and if they commonly see patients that have similar issues as your child. The front desk should be familiar with how the doctor treatment plans common cases. They may be able to give you a heads up about what you can expect for treatment recommendations.

When it doesn’t feel right, let them know you appreciate their time and carry on. You will never regret traveling to get your child the best care.

October 22, 2018 by airwaymatters

How much does myofunctional therapy cost?

Myofunctional therapy is like having a personal trainer for the muscles below your eyes until above your shoulders. The strengthening of your orofacial and oropharyngeal muscles helps facilitate proper breathing, chewing, and swallowing. It also helps with bad habits like thumbsucking, nail-biting, and tongue thrusting.

A perfect natural health solution to frequent congestion, asthma, sleep apnea, speech problems, tongue thrust, snoring, chronic ear infections, and many more. In fact, there are roughly 25 health benefits of myofunctional therapy.

This natural and scientific therapeutic method is ideal to reach health goals that may have seemed unattainable. But at what cost?

Treatment

Traditionally, myofunctional therapy takes place in a one on one setting with a therapist teaching a personalized set of exercises and activities over a period of months. You meet either weekly or bi-weekly and continue to build upon skill sets during the course of treatment until you have reached habituation.

Traditional therapy ranges in price based on your therapist and location. Sessions can be charged per visit or as a part of a program fee.

Individual session fee range $100 – $250 each

Program fee range $1,500 – $3,000

Modern therapy has evolved to include the addition of technology. Tele-therapy is now an option that many therapists are incorporating into their practices to treat patients conveniently from the comfort of their homes. Some practices have even incorporated a hybrid system into their treatment where you have some in-person sessions and some virtual. As with most technological advances, this can dramatically reduce your cost for a full program fee. However, individual sessions are still in the same range as traditional therapy.

Program fee range $700 – $2,500

Alternatives

If those numbers seemed unrealistic for your budget there are alternatives. While addressing the Airway Centered Disorders (ACD) that are often involved in the health problems listed in the graphic above are important, treatment is not limited to those with significant disposable income.

The Myo Spot was founded on the principle that myofunctional therapy is an essential therapeutic service that should be accessible and affordable. As a mother of four children, all of which had various manifestations of an airway centered disorder, second only to treatment being effective, affordability was a top priority upon establishing my practice. Traditional and modern therapy are both utilized and improved, with fees either starting below or on the lower scale of typical practice fees.

TMS program fee range $950 – $2,100

My dynamic myofunctional therapy that incorporates Reiki, VoiceGym, Restorative Breathing Method, affirmations and breathwork, has been combined into the highly effective Pivotal Breathing Method. Not only can you utilize teletherapy to receive professional myofunctional therapy treatments at home, but you can also use a professionally crafted therapy program to treat yourself. We offer two books that have a FULL program that leads you page by page to results similar to one-on-one treatment.

Myofunctional Therapy Made Better is an e-book available on Amazon with a 21-day guided program. You’re Breathing Wrong is a physical paperback journal available on Amazon with a 10-week guided program.

Self-guided books $2.99 – $23.95

Important Considerations

If you know you need myofunctional therapy and are unsure of which treatment options are best for you, consider these 3 things:

Your learning style
Your goals
Your budget

Those who suffer from sensory issues or have difficulty learning without physical direction should not consider any myofunctional therapy program that involves teletherapy. Similarly, your goals should be attainable by your myofunctional therapist. Someone who desires specific relief from TMJ pain, sleep apnea, or tongue tie release, should work one-on-one with a therapist in lieu of self-treatment.

Finally, the budget you have available to address all of your needs when treating ACD, is an essential consideration. A team approach is often required and if your budget is tight, consider working with one member of the team at a time if applicable, or delaying treatment while you save. Or consider working with providers that are focused on affordable treatment options within their practice.

Regardless of which methods or providers you choose, ensure you make the decision to seek treatment you need in a manner that serves you and your budget appropriately.

October 15, 2018October 15, 2018 by airwaymatters

Myofunctional Therapy Works: Here’s the proof

There’s much info out there about airway and myofunctional therapy. However, very few compilations of current research and evidence are available for public consumption. Below are journal articles, peer-reviewed studies, clinical evidence and current research for all things airway for your convenience.

Facial soft tissues in mouth breathing children

Forward head posture and mouth breathing

Oral and pharyngeal reflexes: the important role of the tongue

Influence of myofunctional therapy on palatal expansion

Orthodontic relapse without myofunctional therapy

TMD and myofunctional therapy for treatment

The effectiveness of myofunctional therapy on malocclusion

Myofunctional therapy to treat sleep apnea

Myofunctional therapy for severe sleep apnea

Myofunctional therapy as treatment in pediatric sleep apnea

Relationship of snoring and sleep disorders with ADHD

A review of ADHD and sleep

Daytime sleepiness in children with ADHD

Importance of mandibular advancement in sleep apnea treatment / Surgical advancement in treatment of sleep apnea treatment

Tongue tie release as treatment in sleep apnea

Pediatric tongue tie and sleep apnea

Myofunctional therapy and speech

Importance of myofunctional therapy before and after tongue tie release

Adverse affects of mouth breathing on facial growth, health, academics and behavior

Effects of open mouth on sleep

Mouth breathing in allergic children

Myofunctional therapy and CPAP acceptance

Sleep apnea from childhood to old age

This list will be continually updated as new research is released

Book List

A comprehensive grouping of airway focused reading can be found on our Pintrest page.

October 8, 2018October 8, 2018 by airwaymatters

Tongue to Toes: The Whole Body Connection

The human body is an amazing and intricate work of natural art that we will probably study for centuries to come before we ever establish a complete understanding of it. From what we do know from current research and physiologic understanding, it is all very connected.

Every organ, bone, muscle, and tissue is connected in some way to each other. Consider, now, how that connection can impact your body in a negative way.

Many are familiar with muscles and their connection to the body and movement. Yet, little is ever mentioned of its structural companion, fascia. Fascia is a thin band of connective tissue that envelopes our muscles.

It’s a protective sheath that groups together muscles of similar function and helps to distribute nerves and blood vessels.

While there are 4 layers of fascia that cover certain portions of the body, our outermost layer covers the entire body. Think of it as akin to the skin in encompassing connectivity. If you were to pinch your skin on your arm you may feel the pull or tension of that stretched skin in another area of the arm.

A tongue tie works similarly in fasical pull, as our deep front line fascia connects our tongue in one continuous band of fascia down to our toes.

It is only in the given imagery above that you can see how a tongue tie (which is restrictive or tight connective tissue band connecting the floor of the mouth to the base of the tongue) can affect breathing, posture, pelvic floor stability, and toe walking. Often a “harmless” tongue tie can be just the clinical tip of the iceberg, masking within the body various linked medical and dental problems.

Some people do claim to have miraculous feelings of relief or immediate postural improvement. While not unusual, most people do have to wait or accompany a tongue tie release with manual bodywork to assist in fascial strain release. Those pulls by fascia that is holding you together may just be holding you back from real relief.

Don’t let your tongue affect your body negatively. Have your tongue functionally assessed by a myofunctional therapist. Or, learn more about the tongue’s impact on the body, coupled with resources to guide you on your journey from tied to free with our Ultimate Guide for the Tongue Tied.

[Want a closer look at this surgically extracted deep front line with detailed explanation. Get a better view on YouTube.]

October 1, 2018October 1, 2018 by airwaymatters

The Ultimate Guide for the Tongue Tied

Without fail there are only two responses I get when I notify someone that they have a tongue tie:

No one has ever told me that before
My (or his/her) speech is fine

Given the general lack of information out regarding tongue ties and the linked health concerns, those answers are understandable. However, it is beyond time to break the myths and provide more centralized information that is easy to digest.

A tongue tie may very well be the biggest little thing you never knew you had as it impacts and affects many other parts of the body and is involved in an essential bodily function.

Facts

What if you don’t release

While a tongue tie can very well impact speech, I honestly list speech towards the bottom of reasons to treat a tongue tie. The tongue in it’s proper resting posture should be up against the roof of the mouth for proper breathing, development, and function. A restrictive lingual frenum (string of tissue connecting the floor of the mouth to the base of the tongue) will make proper posture difficult if not impossible. Without release and therapy to obtain proper tongue posture you are risking the possible consequences below.

THE RESOURCES

Frenectomy Tips Before They Snip

A three page guide with the four major steps you should take prior to releasing or considering releasing a tongue tie. Including why pre and post exercising is essential for optimal healing outcomes.

7 Questions You Must Ask Before Choosing A Release Provider

This resource has our list of every essential question you should have answered prior to deciding whether or not this provider is right for you. Not all release professionals are equal in tools, experience, and technique. To make an informed decision you should ask as many questions as possible. Remember, while not a major hospital stay surgery, a tongue tie release is still a surgery.

Tongue Tie Release Checklist and Questionnaire

Accompany resource to our 7 Questions, is this checklist and questionnaire. Use the questionnaire to document what your desires are when it comes to your release experience and healing. Also document the answers to the 7 questions you ask each provider you interview so you can compare responses and make the best decision.

Frequently asked questions

Our YouTube video series, Sixty Second Saturday, answered common questions in less than 60 seconds, like: Frenectomy vs. Frenuloplasty: what’s the difference and Frenectomy healing time: how long.

F.R.E.E. Your Tongue

A self-guided course of myofunctional therapy for those who are unable to work one-on-one with a myofunctional therapist prior to getting released.