I have just attended an amazing inaugural meeting of the Academy of Applied Myofunctional Therapy. I was there both for professional education and as the Chari, of the Alliance of TMD Organizations.
There is no longer any question that treatment of depression and anxiety should probably start with evaluation for sleep apnea. The best treatment is a healthy physiology not drug therapy. The best method of treating anxiety and/or depression is to insure good sleep and good airway. It can change lives without any drug except oxygen in the air we breathe.
ADD and ADHD are direct consequences of pediatric sleep apnea for the majority of patients. Breast feeding is probably the single most important method of avoiding sleep disturbances that lead to ADHD. Brazil has addressed this by an incredible program to screen 100% of new born children for tounge ties or tethered tongues.
The reason many women don’t breastfeed is severe breast and nipple pain. The single most common problem is related to abnormal lingual frenums that are rarely identified. These frenums also cause problems with normal palatal and nasopharyngeal development.
This leads to ADD, ADHD, Colic, aerophagia, belching and abdominal pain for babies and depression and severe pain for women unable to breastfeed. The new program in Brazil will identify the cause of these problems early where they can be easily fixed in minimal procedures that take a couple of minutes and no anaesthesia.
If the US was to initiate a similar program it could save hundreds of billions or dollars spent on special education. There would be improved bonding of mothers and babies. The majority of pain associated with nursing could be addressed.
Sleep apnea is due to poor development of oral pharyngeal airway which is due to improper tongue position.
