LIVING CHIROPRACTIC
Phone: (03) 9580 2282
Address: 12b/93 Wells Rd, Chelsea Heights, VIC 3196, Australia
Email: [email protected]
Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy (Orofacial Myology)
Our chiropractor, Dr. Michelle Clarke, is trained in orofacial myology and is a MyoMunchee practitioner.
What is Orofacial Myology?
Orofacial myology, otherwise known as orofacial myofunctional therapy, is a specialised field looking at the muscles of the face, mouth, throat, and jaw. Just like any other muscle, these need to be re-trained when imbalanced. An orofacial myologist may be required, usually alongside other practitioners (like an ENT specialist, dentist, orthodontist, chiropractor, or speech pathologist), to assist in providing care for conditions like TMJ (jaw) dysfunction, mouth breathing, snoring and sleep disordered breathing, crowding of the teeth/malocclusion, speech issues, non-nutritive oral habits (like thumb sucking or prolonged dummy use) and tongue ties.
Whatever the initial cause, when muscular imbalance occurs to muscles in the mouth and around the face, it can prompt ongoing problems with occlusion (alignment of the teeth), swallowing, chewing, speech, sleep disordered breathing, TMJ dysfunction, poor posture, headaches, palate/jaw growth and mood and energy levels.
The study of Orofacial Myology is a small but growing field, becoming more recognised among dentists, speech pathologists, orthodontists, and ENT specialists. Practitioners studying Orofacial Myology must be an AHPRA registered practitioner, and tend to be in the dental, speech pathology and musculoskeletal fields (like chiropractors).
Why would you book in for an orofacial myofunctional assessment?
- Mouth breathing
- Jaw underdevelopment/narrow palate
- Low tongue posture
- Co-management with a dentist or orthodontist for palate expansion (myofunctional exercises, body work, cranial work)
- Co-management for malocclusion or crowding of the teeth
- Early intervention for jaw underdevelopment
- Assessment for the use of a MyoMunchee
- Sleep disordered breathing (often co-management with an ENT specialist)
- Jaw pain and/or dysfunction
- Speech issues
- Effects of tongue and lip ties
After the initial consult, results of examination are collated, and a treatment plan developed, including any referrals recommended to other healthcare practitioners for co-management (eg. ENT, dentist, orthodontist, speech pathologist).
