How I Found Myofunctional Therapy
I became interested in myofunctional therapy through a very different path than is typical. When I think back to those days, my brain swarms with old stories and information—it was all a blur of sleepless nights, as I was a new mother. Unfortunately, my baby couldn't breastfeed, and I was in a questionable relationship. There was a lot going on. Also, I was on a life mission to free my voice and help others do the same. Yet, I hadn't yet experienced what it felt like to sing with a weightless, flowing, powerful voice.
In searching for a way to help my child breastfeed, I inadvertently discovered that I was tongue-tied—literally. For me, being tongue-tied meant lacking access to essential musculature and the ability to dissociate tension-based muscles in my tongue and oral mechanism to free my voice.
Discovering my tongue tie was like unlocking a secret trapdoor.
It was the key to accessing something I deeply, deeply desired. Ancient wisdom teaches that when we long for something we don't have, finally acquiring it isn't what brings true happiness. But singing is different. I wanted it so deeply, and now that I have it, it feels like a secret tool I carry with me everywhere— a tool that can alchemize any moment of any day.
In this case, the ancient wisdom doesn't apply.
Myofunctional therapy was at the heart of this discovery. It is a therapeutic modality practiced by speech-language pathologists, physical therapists, dentists, and dental hygienists that helps patients align their oral muscles for optimal functioning.
This type of therapy was at the crux of my transformation. Hence, I chose to train as a speech-language pathologist and certified myofunctional therapist.
Interestingly, there was little to no research on the effects of oral alignment on singing. However, there is strong evidence that oromyofunctional therapy can benefit people experiencing:
Obstructive sleep apnea and snoring in adults
Nighttime breathing difficulties in children
TMJ pain, jaw clenching, and teeth grinding
Chronic tension in the jaw, neck, and upper back
Concerns about children's oral and facial development
Because the way we breathe and sleep can influence how our body functions—from respiratory efficiency to airway health, immune responsiveness, and cardiovascular regulation—aligning the oral and breathing muscles through myofunctional therapy offers a pathway to supporting overall well-being.
As someone interested in holistic health, I was fascinated by the wellspring I had tapped into. It felt as though I had reached the very crux of health, happiness, and the raw ingredients that make life truly good. And it wasn't just that. When I thought about the impact poor sleep had on families—something at the forefront of my mind as a sleep-deprived new mother—it felt profound. I also thought of those I knew who carried the weight of mental health struggles and how frequently disrupted sleep seemed woven into their lives.
In tapping into myofunctional therapy, I wasn't only accessing something that improved health; I was drawing from a rich and endlessly deep pool of wisdom that opened the door to joy, thriving families, and the foundations of a well-lived life.
The discovery, release, and retraining of my tongue tie allowed me to free my voice in both physical and metaphorical ways. It changed the alignment of my entire body—how I breathed and how I slept at night.
Instantly after the release, I felt the back of my neck pop open to release hidden tension that gave way to a spacious, alert relaxation. My core abdominal muscles stacked in a way that reshaped my posture and allowed me to exhale fully and effortlessly. I came to understand “breath support”—in both singing and in life—in an entirely new way.
I will never know whether the reason was more psychological, emotional, or something else, but around that time I noticed my body growing stronger and more fit—even as I juggled the demands of single motherhood and graduate school. Was it because I chose empowerment over defeat? Or was it the new, improved breathing made possible by retraining my oral muscles?
If you'd like to learn more about what Body-Led Voice Therapy has to offer—or if you think you might benefit from myofunctional therapy—I invite you to schedule an evaluation.
Research Evidence: Myofunctional Therapy and Related Topics
1. Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Snoring in Adults
A meta-analysis of clinical trials found that myofunctional therapy significantly reduces the severity of obstructive sleep apnea in adults, with mean Apnea–Hypopnea Index (AHI) decreasing by about 50%, and improvements in oxygen saturation and daytime sleepiness (Camacho et al., 2015).
A randomized trial of patients with moderate OSA confirmed these results, reporting an average AHI reduction from 22.4 to 13.7 events/hour, improved minimum oxygen saturation, and better sleep quality following three months of structured oropharyngeal exercises (Guimarães et al., 2009).
A separate randomized trial showed that targeted oral and tongue exercises reduced snoring frequency and intensity, improved patient sleep quality, and reduced bed-partner–reported snoring (Ieto et al., 2015).
Collectively, these findings indicate that strengthening and re-coordinating the tongue, soft palate, and pharyngeal muscles through myofunctional therapy can restore airway tone, reduce upper-airway collapse, and alleviate symptoms of OSA and primary snoring.
2. Nighttime Breathing Difficulties in Children
CBCT pediatric imaging shows that mouth-breathing children have smaller pharyngeal-airway dimensions—lower airway volume, area, minimum axial area, and narrower widths at the uvula and occlusal levels—compared with nasal breathers, reflecting reduced airway space across the naso- and oropharyngeal regions (Alves et al., 2011).
Research by Guilleminault and colleagues identified short lingual frenulum as a frequent phenotype in children with obstructive sleep apnea, even in the absence of enlarged tonsils—suggesting that untreated oral-motor restriction may contribute to structural airway vulnerability and later OSA development (Guilleminault, Huseni, & Lo, 2016).
Early identification and correction of structural and airway factors contributing to dysfunctional breathing patterns play a critical role in preventing the development and recurrence of pediatric sleep-disordered breathing (Marcus, Sheldon, & Gozal, 2012; Huang & Guilleminault, 2013). As a myofunctional therapist, I focus on children with low tongue posture and/or chronic mouth breathing, since these patterns often underlie or signal the structural airway factors described in the research.
Together, these studies support myofunctional therapy as an evidence-based approach to normalize breathing patterns, expand upper-airway space, and support stable sleep function in children.
3. TMJ Pain, Jaw Clenching, and Teeth Grinding
A retrospective cohort study found that patients who received orthodontic treatment along with orofacial myofunctional therapy had dramatically less relapse of anterior open bite and greater long-term occlusal stability compared to those who received orthodontics alone (Smithpeter & Covell, 2010).
Clinical evidence indicates that habitual oral parafunctions, such as clenching and bruxism, strain the masticatory system, while retraining oral rest posture and swallowing patterns through myofunctional therapy helps reduce these behaviors (How to Handle Patients After the Braces Come Off, 1980s review).
These data position myofunctional therapy as a conservative intervention to reduce muscle overuse and promote neuromuscular balance in the jaw and orofacial complex.
4. Chronic Tension in the Jaw, Neck, and Upper Back
The tongue and larynx are linked through the hyoid bone and a web of suprahyoid and infrahyoid muscles. When the tongue is restricted—as with a tongue tie—these muscles often compensate by over-engaging, elevating the larynx and creating tension patterns through the jaw, neck, and shoulders. Releasing and retraining tongue mobility can free the laryngeal mechanism, improving vocal efficiency and postural balance.
The Postural Restoration Institute (PRI) describes how the muscles connecting the mandible, hyoid, and anterior neck are influenced by overall thoracic and cranial alignment. According to founder Ron Hruska, forward-head posture and a depressed chest wall can shorten the suprahyoid muscles and elevate the larynx, altering vocal-tract shape and tension. Conversely, restoring functional alternation of the tongue, diaphragm, and cervical spine can reduce strain and improve resonance and ease of phonation (Hruska, “Postural Interplay Between the Torso, Throat, Tongue and Teeth,” AAMS Virtual Congress, 2020; PRI Restoring Alternation Patient Guide, 2023).
Case-study work documents postural compensation patterns linked to tongue weakness and forward-head posture, supporting the role of oral-motor rehabilitation in relieving upper-body tension (Platania, 2008).
When breathing and swallowing patterns are normalized through OMT, muscular load in the cervical and submandibular regions decreases, improving coordination across the craniocervical chain.
5. Children’s Oral and Facial Development
CBCT imaging shows that nasal breathers have larger pharyngeal airway volumes than mouth breathers (Alves et al., 2011).
Experimental and clinical data confirm that chronic mouth breathing disrupts normal facial growth, often leading to longer faces, narrower dental arches, and reduced airway dimensions (Huang & Guilleminault, 2013; Moss, 1997).
Myofunctional therapy that restores nasal breathing and corrects tongue posture supports balanced facial growth and helps prevent relapse after orthodontic correction (Fujiki et al., 1999; Moss, 1997).
This evidence aligns with the Moss Functional Matrix Hypothesis, which proposes that soft-tissue function guides skeletal growth—meaning that consistent nasal breathing, lip seal, and proper tongue position are essential for stable development.
Works Cited:
Alves, Marisa, et al. "Three-Dimensional Assessment of Pharyngeal Airway in Nasal and Mouth Breathing Children." International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology, vol. 75, 2011, pp. 1195–1199.
Camacho, Macario, et al. "Myofunctional Therapy to Treat Obstructive Sleep Apnea: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis." Sleep, vol. 38, no. 5, 2015, pp. 669–675.
Smithpeter, JoAnn, and David Covell, Jr. "Relapse of Anterior Open Bites Treated with Orthodontic Appliances with and without Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy." American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics, vol. 137, no. 5, 2010, pp. 605–614.
Guimarães, Katia C., et al. "Effects of Oropharyngeal Exercises on Patients with Moderate Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome." American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, vol. 179, no. 10, 2009, pp. 962–966.
Guilleminault, Christian, Shehlanoor Huseni, and Lauren Lo. "A Frequent Phenotype for Paediatric Sleep Apnoea: Short Lingual Frenulum." ERJ Open Research, 2016, pp. 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1183/23120541.00043-2016.
Huang, Yvonne S., and Christian Guilleminault. "Pediatric Obstructive Sleep Apnea and the Critical Role of Oral-Facial Growth: Evidences." Frontiers in Neurology, vol. 3, 2013, Article 184. https://doi.org/10.3389/fneur.2012.00184.
Ieto, V., et al. "Effects of Oropharyngeal Exercises on Snoring: A Randomized Trial." Chest, vol. 148, no. 3, 2015, pp. 683–691.
Marcus, Carole L., Ronald Sheldon, and David Gozal. "Diagnosis and Management of Childhood Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome." Pediatrics, vol. 130, no. 3, 2012, pp. 576–584.
Moss, Melvin L. "The Functional Matrix Hypothesis Revisited." 1st International Congress on Craniofacial Growth and Development, 1997.
Platania, Paolo. "Posture, Etiology of a Syndrome: Pathomechanics." 2008. http://www.paoloplatania.it/engPosture_theCaseStudy04.htm.
Hruska, Ron. Postural Interplay Between the Torso, Throat, Tongue and Teeth. AAMS Virtual Congress, Postural Restoration Institute, 2020.
Postural Restoration Institute. Restoring Alternation: Patient Guide. 2023. https://www.posturalrestoration.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Postural-Restoration-Institute-Patient-Guide-Restoring-Alternation.pdf.