Tag: myofunctional therapy

This Keeps You TENSE (NO ONE Talks About It)

🤔 Ever feel like your face is flexing harder than a bodybuilder in a mirror? Or that your jaw is grinding, but not in the David Goggins ultra-marathon way? If facial tension, jaw pain, or sleep issues are stealing your smile, it’s time for a game-changer. Dive into the magic of Myofunctional Therapy – it’s like a spa day, but for your face. 🧖‍♂️ Learn 5 simple moves that can transform your craniofacial health and have you grinning like you just found the last pack of toilet paper in a pandemic. Ready to relax that face and reclaim your comfort? Click to unravel the secrets! 🚀

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Mouth Breathing – FIX it for Good

Why Nasal Breathing is Better Are you tired of CONSTANTLY mouth breathing? If not, you should be. It might be the KEY to improving your health. In this blog post, we’ll dive into: Check out the post and video below to get into it! Why Nasal Breathing Matters You might be thinking “Why does it matter how I breathe? Can’t I just breathe through my mouth like a normal person?” Considering the health of “normal people,” let’s think again. Let’s look at the positive health benefits of nasal breathing first. Nasal breathing: Contrast that with the negative health consequences of mouth breathing: Given the stark contrast, it makes sense to nasal breathe like a BOSS. But it’s more complicated than only breathing through your nose. According to this study, oropharyngeal exercises trumped nasal breathing alone for sleep apnea. Below are some examples of that in this playlist. Optimal nasal breathing requires the best of both worlds. Here’s how we can incorporate both concepts. The 3 Keys to Nasal Breathing There are three major keys to mastering nasal breathing: 1. Tongue posture 2. Lip posture 3. Nasal breath quality Let’s dive into how to nail each piece. Tongue posture The tongue should be GENTLY placed on the roof of the mouth between the teeth. This helps seal off the oral airway and pulls the nasal floor down. Sometimes, limited tongue mobility can impact this action. Here’s how to address the inability to achieve this posture. Can’t get the tongue to the

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VivAer Procedure Review – Watch this Before You Do it!

Is this surgery helpful for nasal valve dysfunction? Nasal breathing has many positive health effects, but what if you are a chronic mouth breather? Perhaps you have nasal congestion that just won’t let up. There can be many reasons for an inability to nasal breathe, one of them nasal valve dysfunction. If your nose collapses in when you breathe, as opposed to getting bigger, this could indicate an issue with the nasal valve. Sadly, this can’t be improved with exercise. Instead, procedures are often used to improve nasal valve patency. I just tried one of these procedures, called the Vivaer, at The Breathe Institute. Does it work? Watch the video and read the blog below to learn if it does.

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All About the Neck

A comprehensive look at cervical biomechanics and exercise The Wu-Tang clan once said “Protect Ya Neck,” but how in the heck can you do that if you don’t know the biomechanics?????? The neck can be quite complicated considering all the factors that influence it’s dynamics: Ribcage position Thoracic spine Hyoid bone Cranium Temperomandibular joint OH MY! Yet despite all of these influences, there are simple, useful heuristics you can follow that can lead to favorable changes in neck mobility! Want to make the neck, cranium, and more ridiculously simple to understand and apply? Then tune in for Movement Debrief Episode 125.

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The Unsexy Side of PT

Struggle with mouth breathing? Much of the stuff taught on my site focuses on maximizing your breathing skills from the neck on down, but what happens when that is not enough? What if you still have issues with neck or jaw symptoms? Or worse yet, struggle with sleep? These are the topics we dive into on The Optimize Your Capacity podcast I did recently. You’ll learn all types of things featured in the netherworld of performance, including: Craniocervical posture and how to test for movement limitations in this region The “ideal” tongue posture to promote nasal breathing What a proper swallow entails to reduce neck strain What the keys are to having a dynamic respiratory strategy that maximizes movement options through the body Is there a “best” posture to sleep in? That depends on your body 🙂 and more! Click the links below to check it out! The Unsexy Side of PT: Zac Cupples (Apple Podcasts) Spotify Stitcher

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Pregnancy, Pectus, and Bruxism – Movement Debrief Episode 106

Movement Debrief Episode 106 is in the books. Below is a copy of the video for your viewing pleasure, and audio if you can’t stand looking at me. Here is the setlist: How can pregnancy affect one’s ability to move? Can pregnancy change one’s infrasternal angle? What type of adjustments and considerations should we make for those who are pregnant? What is pectus excavatum? How can this structural change impact movement options? What type of exercises can we use to improve movement when someone has a pectus? What is bruxism? What is bruxism’s relationship to upper airway? What are other potential related factors to bruxism? What are some treatment considerations for someone who has bruxism?

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Tibial Rotation, Knee Pain During Resets, Deep Neck Flexors and Tongue – Movement Debrief Episode 93

Movement Debrief Episode 93 is in the books. Below is a copy of the video for your viewing pleasure, and audio if you can’t stand looking at me. Here is the set list: What is tibial external and internal rotation? What calcaneal position is associated with these tibial moves? How does the hip impact these tibial motions? What exercises can I use to change tibial rotation? Why might clients get knee pain during certain resets? How can I coach patients out of having knee pain during these activities? Is there a place for deep neck flexor contraction during resets? How about tongue posture?

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