Orofacial Integrity

We highly recommend Virginia Downing for Myofunctional therapy. Myofunctional therapy is used for neuromuscular re-​education or re-​patterning of the oral and facial muscles. The therapy includes facial and tongue exercises and behavior modification techniques to correct and allow for proper tongue position, improved breathing, chewing, and swallowing. This is a specialized therapy with only a few trained professionals offering this service in the Bay Area.
Our 11 year old son had low facial and tongue muscle tone and chronic open lip posture. After a sleep study was done, we realized he had sleep apnea and Virginia confirmed the presence of large tonsils and a compromised nasal patency. Our ENT performed surgery and after spending 6 months with Virginia, his progress has been remarkable. His mouth breathing has improved tremendously, and his chewing muscles are much stronger than before. Also, His tongue muscles have become stronger and more coordinated, allowing it to rest more naturally on his upper palate.
Virginia is such a lovely person and truly dedicated to her profession. She is very knowledgeable and her exercises have proved to be very successful for our son. Virginia is also very warm and friendly, and she makes the session so much fun for our son. Also, she always goes above and beyond to help with solutions and strategy to meet our goals. Our son felt very comfortable with her from the very first visit. He looks forward to seeing Virginia every week and has formed a special bond with her.
I have never met anyone that is more dedicated to their profession than Virginia. We truly LOVE Virginia, and she will always be a very special person in our hearts.

I’ve had the great fortune to have Virginia work with two of my children, one for a tongue-​thrust issue (which needed to be resolved before getting braces) and the other for snoring due to restricted nasal airflow.
I can’t recommend Virginia more highly! Most importantly, she’s helped both of my kids to resolve their issues through a series of techniques introduced in our sessions and reinforced with daily exercises. Beyond that, you won’t find a more passionate individual, completely committed to her profession and the latest thinking in orofacial therapy. Last but not least, she’s a hoot! She makes every session fun and joyful, which is so important when working with children (or maybe everyone). She is wonderful!

Unfortunately I live a couple hours away but if I was closer I would not hesitate to see Virginia for my issue on a regular basis. I contacted her about some jaw, facial muscle, and teeth issues and she went above and beyond to help me. She definitely is an expert in this field. I just wish I was closer to her! I finally figured out OMT is what I need and she helped me realize that.