An individual with improper tongue rest posture or mouth breathing habits usually has poor swallow patterns. Incorrect swallowing patterns lead to aerophagia, which is the swallowing of air. This can lead to stomach aches, acid relux, gas, hiccupping, burping, and other digestive problems.

Mouth breathing is shallow breathing, and puts your body into a sympathetic state or “fight or flight” response. In this state, your body is stressed and sends more energy to the parts of the body that would be necessary for running from danger and takes energy from areas of less importance “in the moment”. Your heart rate is increased, digestion slows down, and blood vessels constrict (raises blood pressure). If you are living in a constant state of “fight or flight”, it would come as no surprise that digestive problems arise. Chronic poor sleep can also keep your body in a constant sympathetic state.

Myofunctional therapy helps to retrain the oral rest posture of the tongue and establish proper swallowing patterns. It also helps to slow down and focus on your chewing and eating behaviors to allow for better digestion.