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Oral Motor Exercises for Facial Droop

Facial droop is an unwanted side effect that can occur as a result of conditions such as Bell's palsy, stroke or brain tumor. While treating the underlying condition is important to fully resolving facial droop, additional exercises are occasionally needed to restore proper muscular control over the affected regions. While perhaps tedious, the regular practice of oral motor exercises can help you reestablish a proper mind-muscle connection to the nerves of your face, resolving facial droop once and for all.

  1. Tongue Press

    • Train your tongue to simultaneously work the muscles in and around your cheeks and jaw. Using a spoon to provide slight resistance, stick your tongue straight out and press the spoon against the tip of your tongue. Provide resistance, pushing back against the spoon with your tongue for five to 10 seconds at a time. Repeat this exercise with the spoon in front of your tongue at least five times. Following this, repeat the exercise with the spoon placed on the top, bottom, left, and right sides of your tongue.

    Chin Slides

    • Perform chin slides to exercise the various muscles in and around your jaw. To perform a chin slide, simply sit in a comfortable position, initiating the movement by moving only your lower jaw. Slide it slowly to the left as far as you are able, then reverse the movement and slide it back to the right as far as you are able. Repeat for a total of 10 times on each side. To increase the difficulty as you become more comfortable with the movement, slightly increase the speed at which it is performed or increase resistance by pushing lightly in the opposite direction with your hand.

    Isometrics

    • Perform oral isometric activities to increase the strength of your jaw muscles. Open your mouth wide, and grip your chin lightly with one of your hands. While exerting a light amount of resistance, attempt to close your mouth utilizing nothing but the muscles of your jaw. In other words, do not move your head. Once your mouth is closed, maintain resistance and attempt to keep it shut for five seconds. Return to the starting position and repeat for a total of five to 10 times, gradually increasing the resistance of your off hand as you increase your overall jaw strength.

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