Abnormal Breathing
Macroglossia is the term given for the tongue when it seems too large for the oral cavity and it may spill outside the occlusion of the teeth into the vestibule between the lips and the teeth. It’s often seen in disorders of genetic origin such as Down’s syndrome.
OMT
HELPS
OM therapists will screen the tongue for restricted frenum, re-pattern and activate all of the muscles of the tongue, and develop a palatal tongue rest position. The oral volume will also need to be increased with expansion of the palate and orthodontics, thus working with a multidisciplinary team.
IF NOT
TREATED
If the tongue is not given proper room and retrained in proper unrestricted function, the patient will not be able to chew, breathe nasally, and swallow correctly which may lead to to digestive problems, OSA, TMD, orthodontic/ orthognathic surgery relapse, and self-image problems.
29. Abnormal Breathing
–Cowie RL, Conley DP, Underwood MF, Reader PG. A randomised controlled trial of the Buteyko technique as an adjunct to conventional management of asthma. Respir Med. 2008 May;102(5):726-32. doi: 10.1016/j. rmed.2007.12.012. Epub 2008 Jan 31.
–Barker NJ, Jones M, O’Connell NE, Everard ML. Breathing exercises for dysfunctional breathing/hyperventilation syndrome in children. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2013 Dec 18;12:CD010376. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD010376. pub2.