Myofunctional Therapy in Anchorage, AK

Annie, our certified myofunctional therapist, guides patients through exercises for the muscles of the face, jaw, tongue, and throat, with an emphasis on nasal breathing day and night.

Myofunctional therapy is worth considering if you mouth breathe, grind your teeth, or deal with TMJD or jaw pain, facial, neck, or shoulder pain, sleep apnea, headaches, or speech difficulties. Optimizing oral function and nasal breathing can also be very helpful for people with ADHD or ADD tendencies, anxiety, and digestive issues.

What the Therapy Actually Involves

Myofunctional therapy is closer to physical therapy than to dentistry. It is a series of targeted exercises for the tongue, lips, jaw, and throat, practiced daily and progressed over time as the muscles adapt. Annie works with you on technique, then you carry the exercises into your normal routine. The goal is a resting posture where the lips seal, the tongue rests against the roof of the mouth, and breathing happens through the nose without thinking about it.

Why Muscle Function Affects So Much

The muscles of the mouth and face influence how the jaw develops, how the teeth are positioned, how the airway stays open during sleep, and how the jaw joint is loaded all day. When the tongue rests low and breathing shifts to the mouth, that pattern pulls on all of it. Retraining function addresses the cause rather than managing the symptom, which is why it is often recommended alongside airway health care and TMJ treatment.

Annie-

“Myofunctional therapy typically involves sessions every two weeks for 6-9 months. While treatment plans are personalized to your specific needs, this is the duration and frequency I have found to be most successful with my patients.

We are not only doing exercises – we are working toward neuromuscular reeducation – completely retraining muscle memory for lifelong change.

I am happy to offer a 15 minute discovery call to answer questions and discuss how myofunctional therapy can benefit you.”

You can call or send a text to 907-726-3070 or email me at annie@farnorthmyo.com. Also find me at https://farnorthmyo.com/

Therapy for Children and Adults

In children, addressing habits like thumb sucking, mouth breathing, and low tongue posture while the jaws are still developing can influence how the face and airway grow, which is part of what we watch for at every pediatric visit. In adults, the work is corrective rather than developmental, and it is frequently paired with a custom oral appliance or with orthodontic treatment so results hold.

What It Is Not

It is not a quick fix and not a substitute for a sleep study or a medical diagnosis. Progress depends almost entirely on doing the exercises consistently between appointments. If your symptoms point toward obstructive sleep apnea, we will say so and coordinate with your physician rather than treating it here alone.