Tongue and Lip Ties - Myofunctional Therapy Self-Assessment

[@hehunches]

Dr. Sommers, you're the boss. Myofunctional therapist? Never heard of it. I am in Canada. I find that due to our subsidized health care system, access is severely restricted. While health care is good, it is also 'behind the curtain' so to speak; I had jaw surgery and it was all paid for, due to severe overbite. I also had braces paid for by the province for three years. That's amazing, I'm grateful, I don't mean any implication that I'm complaining about health care here! For what it does, it's great. Edit: I always write embarassingly long comments. Sigh. However, I am left with what came before, toungue ties and dysfunction in Hyoid, tmj, etc, neck problems headaches, and I didn't even know any of it was treatable. I didn't even know the extend of my problems. Here, you don't get referred to a specialist unless it is imperative. I've shown how my windpipe clicks and seems to me to have excessive movement, and doctors shrug and say it seems fine. I have had a sore throat on one side 2 days a week for my entire life; I'm was trained as a singer and I had a sore throat all the time. Now, when I do sing for a short while, I have a sore throat for days, mostly left sided. I have floating lymph nodes on that side and poor circulation in my left arm. For that, I had an angiogram, they found an abberent right subclavian, otherwise, inconclusive. There is no follow up, doctors tend to say 'you've had enough tests and they didn't find anything'. Like I'm crying wolf. As for the surgery, one side healed slower, and the bone rotated and I can feel it shift when I open my jaw wide. My muscles are very very tight(whole body, not due to surgery). Nice to see some videos that explain that there is something I can do to help myself, at least. No doctor here bothers with my complaints. They say I'm anxious, and want to prescribe me anxiety meds, and PT is not covered here unless you are in an MVA, so that's out for me, I can't afford to hire a good physical therapist. The health system here is only good for dire crisis, you get fixed up and then sent on your way. Or if something is ragingly obvious they fix it, but they really don't seem to want to dig up problems, they would rather invalidate them, minimize them, not wanting to open a can of worms that would cost the system. It's counter intuitive to what health care is supposed to be, IMO. Sorry for ranting, I just want to say thanks for the videos, I have learned alot from you and can take more responsibility about figuring out my plight. Elhers Danlos, syrinx, narrow foramin, stenosis, disc problems arthritis scoliosis, to mention a few, lots going on. Had many concussions growing up, and was hit by a van as a pedestrian when I was 11, had an OBE, unconsiousness. I don't know where to look to for answers. Do you advise snipping the lingual frenulum? When my oral surgeon was doing my 'work up' he said we could talk about it, but he never brought it up again. He was suprised at the lack of mobility in my tongue. I had speech problems, intermittent stutter, and I think that's why growing up. I learned to cope with it. I also never had enough suction to suckle, my mother thought it was her fault, I'm sure it wasn't. I even have a 'dead facial expression', at one point they worried I was mentally ill or autistic, because they noticed that I don't smile, or move my face when I express myself, my facial expression is always neutral. Because when I try to smile, my face is too tight. From tongue ties maybe? I can barely open my mouth, my face muscles are not functioning well that's for certain.

[@allsleepashley]

I'm sorry you're having such a tough time. Unfortunately, your experience is not uncommon within the American Healthcare System as well. My biggest advice is to chip away at each intervention in a systematic way from least invasive to most invasive. I know you've already addressed the problem in largely invasive way, but this does not mean you won't find relief from going back and addressing the more low hanging fruit. This includes behavioral change (mastering sleep, exercise, diet, light exposure, etc) and changing your movement through physical or oral motor therapy. These things can add up in a big way. I cannot recommend a frenectomy as I would need to do an evaluation and take you through a course of oral motor therapy before making this recommendation. I would never make this recommendation right away as many times tongue range of motion is restored through exercises. I hope my videos continue to help you! Take care.

[@jaimethibodeaux6844]

Thank you for this video!!! I have developed severe mandibular tori and can’t do the lingual test as instructed. Is there an alternate method?

[@maryporterfield6537]

Are these exercise good for Bell's palsy

[@nD-zr3be]

my dr told me to use myofunctional trainer device for braces , while having braces to increase upper lip strength (does that increases lip size and height) how does that work pls help

[@allsleepashley]

Is there a specific myofunctional therapy device you are referring to?

[@jasonrogers469]

Question...Every time my girlfriend yawns, her tongue muscle will involuntarily flex up into a huge bowl or cup shape inside of her mouth. When this happens, her tongue web pulls so tight right at the center front edge of her tongue that a "V" shaped split or cleft appears giving her tongue the appearance of a butterfly with it's wings spread. She's not tongue tied and it causes her no pain. She's also able to roll, fold and make a 3 three leaf clover shape with her tongue muscle so there's no mobility issues or concerns. My question is, what causes her tongue to flex up when yawning? She absolutely cannot keep it down as the involuntary part of her brain overrides the voluntary part and causes it to stay up. I know everyone's tongue tenses when yawning, it's part of the yawning process, but she's the only person I've ever seen whose tongue flexes up this way when yawning instead of lying flat on the floor of the mouth. Is it an indicator of excellent brain to tongue muscle nerve connection, coordination and control? I was thinking that may be the reason because as I stated previously that she can manipulate her tongue into a few different shapes and was wondering if those abilities are somehow interconnected with her tongue muscle flexing and cupping when yawning. The "V" shaped cleft that forms when her tongue cups...whether from yawning or just lifting it up on her own...I know is common, mostly in females, but I was wondering also what causes this trait? Is it hereditary or is it more common in women of different ethnicities? She's 100% Native American by the way. Thank You!