Myofunctional Therapy Study

Scotts Valley and Santa Cruz, CA

For patients suffering from obstructive sleep apnea, there are several treatment options available today. The CPAP machine has been the standard treatment for decades, yet more people are finding relief through a custom oral appliance that requires no electricity and is completely silent, unlike a noisy CPAP machine. However, many patients have not heard of myofunctional therapy, which uses a series of customized exercises to retrain the tongue to move and rest properly. Not only can myofunctional therapy improve the severity of obstructive sleep apnea, but it can also improve one’s appearance by reversing the elongated look that often is a result of chronic mouth breathing.

A recent study concluded that myofunctional therapy decreased sleep apnea episodes or pauses in breathing by more than half in the participants, both children, and adults. Could myofunctional therapy be emerging as a more effective, and less invasive method of treating obstructive sleep apnea?

click here to read the study