What is Craniofacial Therapy?
Craniofacial therapy treats disorders, dysfunctions or anomalies in the orofacial sphere. Our face reflects our identity and is a determining factor in our social contacts. Any damage (accident, disability, illness, functional disorder, etc.) takes on proportions that go beyond the simple physical problem and affects the private, family and social sphere
Domains concerned by craniofacial therapy
mouth breathing
Bruxism
Palatal clefts
Pain
Tongue Inflamation
Bad habits:
- pacifier
- fingernail biting
- thump suckling
Craniofacial malformations:
- Accidents
- Tumors
- Scars
Malpositioned teeth
Down Syndrome
Swallowing disorders
Voice disorders
Malpositioned jaw
Neurological diseases
Phonation disorders
Craniofacial Management
“You can’t treat someone who enjoys being sick” Basque proverb
Two main principles govern craniofacial management:
- Interdisciplinarity
- Global approach to the patient
The Problem
The Patient
The Cause
Where is the primary cause of my problem situated?
and
How can I fix it ?
The therapists practicing craniofacial therapy as described on this site have all followed the course of the Master Cranio Facial Kinetic Science course at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Basel (Switzerland).
Craniofacial Therapy
Each person is different. Therefore, the therapy is not the same for a child who has speaking problems due to a malposition of the tongue in the mouth than for an adult who broke their jaw after a fall, for example.
However, you will almost always find the following elements:
Listening - Discussion - Observation
Reflection - Development of set goals
Analysis - Posture - Stabillity - Documentation
Muscular stimulation - Home exercises - Possible intervention of other therapists
Evaluation - Re-Evaluation
Our body is made of a single piece – all the parts (muscles, organs, bones, nervous and blood systems, etc.) being connected to each other by fascias.
That’s why patients shouldn’t be surprised that the therapist first observes the feet to treat neck pain.
The stimuli and impulses given by the therapist and the exercises to be repeated have an impact on the whole body and have an impact on the posture and the bad habits. They allow the neuromuscular system to integrate new functional patterns.
