Tag: OSA

Top 10 Posts of 2021

The posts the fam loved the most! At the end of each year, I like to see what you wonderful folks loved! What the fam….recognized (fam). This year we went IN DEEP with biomechanics. A whole lotta pelvis especially, but also some feet and scapular stuff. If you want to learn more, then definitely check out this year’s top 10. Wishing you the best for 2022! 10. All About The Pelvic Floor My understanding and application of what the pelvic floor is doing as we move and breathe has become much more refined. This post is the best example of that. When you recognize that the pelvic floor contracts segmentally, you’ll look differently on exercise prescription. 9. Split Squat Biomechanics The split squat is an incredibly versatile exercise, and you can really vary it up if you grasp the biomechanical positions that occur as you move through the movement. This post provides a deep dive into this awesome move! 8. Maxillary Expansion Before and After 1 Year in the Crozat Appliance This year, I learned that there are three polarizing topics that you should not discuss with others: Religion Politics Upper airway treatments This post was by far my most controversial, where I outline what happened to myself after a year of being in the Crozat appliance. So far, the results have been pretty solid! 7. Core Training Do rib flares matter? Why do we stack and posteriorly tilt the pelvis? How should the core work as we walk? These were a few of

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Airway Dentistry: What to Do When You Don’t Breathe Right At Night

If you are having trouble sleeping, snore at night, or mouth breathe like none other, you definitely have to listen to the Nourish Balance Thrive Podcast that I was recently on. In it, we touch on A GANG of topics! Chris and I discuss the impact of mouth and face structure on breathing, sleeping, and overall health. We go through some of the causes of abnormal facial development, and the resulting problems which can include sleep disorders, crowded and crooked teeth, and worsened athletic performance. I also describe the best way to assess for breathing problems at night and offers some tips for prevention and intervention. You won’t want to miss this, check it out in the link below: Airway Dentistry: What to Do When You Don’t Breathe Right At Night Interview outline Utilizing breathing to enhance movement The Amazing Shrinking Face Tongue and Lip Ties My journey into improving my upper airway The importance of tongue space Nasal breathing and implants The MMA surgery When you should do a sleep study Pulse oximetry vs sleep study The different things measured with a sleep study Upper airway resistance syndrome vs. sleep apnea The risks of untreated sleep apnea How to measure progress with upper airway improvements Factors leading to airway problems Image by Clker-Free-Vector-Images from Pixabay

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The Keys to Improving Your Upper Airway

Sleep apnea, upper airway resistance, snoring, grinding your teeth, ADHD; what do all of these areas have in common? Many of these conditions can be attributed to problems in the upper airway, including tongue position, airway structure, and more. The ability to maximize your ability to breathe in this area is critical and was the topic of a podcast I did with Dr. Mike T. Nelson. Here is the list of things we discussed:  Avoiding dentures What proper mouth structure should be The connection between sleep and mouth structure The connection between ADHD and other behavior issues and airway What to ask for with a sleep study At home sleep apnea testing: Watch-PAT Addressing oral posture sooner rather than later How much can you change It takes a team to be fully optimized Recommendations on what to do and where to go This podcast will help guide you through all the steps you need to maximize your airway, sleep, and health.  Click the link below to learn more. Cranial Face Structures, Nasal Breathing, Orthodontics, Tongue Position, and More Unlikely Performance Limiters: Interview with Zac Cupples  

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Introduction to Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy Course Review

How improving tongue mobility can impact sleep and nasal breathing I hit a plateau. I was getting good results with many clients. I was making infrasternal angles dynamic, restoring hip flexion and extension, and getting ribcage mobility on fleek. Yet there were still some folks who I couldn’t get the symptom change they needed. Either they had really stiff necks, craniofacial issues, or difficulty sleeping. I knew I was missing something. Then I found myofunctional therapy. My buddy Joe Cicinelli, my myofunctional therapist, gave me some tongue exercises surrounding my tongue-tie release surgery, and I noticed some interesting changes with myself. My neck felt looser, I was sleeping better, and just overall feeling better. I decided to experiment and try a few activities here and there on some clients. With having only a rudimentary understanding, I started seeing some of those troubling cases improve. Necks were less tight. Sleep was improving, jaw pain was vanishing. I needed to learn more. That’s when I came across the Academy of Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy (AOMT) and saw they offered an introductory course. I was in. Four days later, a gap was filled. Having applied these techniques to several patients, many of those troubled cases were not so troubling. Although I was addressing airway with most of my treatments, I neglected the uppermost portions of it. The folks at AOMT give you that and then some. With this course, we deep-dived into anatomy, evidence, assessment, treatment, and business. You really get a total package

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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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Overhead Press, Missing Molars, and Situps – Movement Debrief Episode 100

Movement Debrief Episode 100 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: First, a case study of a patient who had full thorax motion, yet still had pain How to problem solve through a set of movement limitations Why is overhead pressing useful? What does my progression look like to getting someone to overhead press? Do I prefer in front of neck or behind the neck position for overhead pressing? Why do molars get pulled? What impact can pulled molars have on breathing and movement? What would be treatment recommendations? Are situps a bad exercise choice? Will situps hurt your back? When could programming situp variations be useful?

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Geriatrics, Pain with Breathing, and Dentists – Movement Debrief Episode 99

Movement Debrief Episode 99 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 are the key performance indicators many geriatrics need to keep healthy? What are some tips to maximizing movement options in geriatrics? What progressions do I utilize for geriatrics? What are some tips to get someone to complete a breath without pain? Any cues for having someone tuck who is overweight? How do we work around someone who is fear avoidant? Any tips for helping someone progress to going overhead without pain? What are the key things I look for in a dentist?

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