Mobility and Upright Postural Control and Their Impact on Respiration and Oral Function through the Lifespan

Course overview

Mobility and upright postural control are keys to the "Fountain of Youth"! Maintaining effective respiratory and oral function is important for our patients throughout their lifespan, whether they start life with challenges or experience a life-changing event later in life. Participation in social activities, including communicating and eating with family and friends, is vital to our patient's overall health and well-being. If we can address mobility and upright postural control, we can affect impairments such as pain, weakness, immobility, and other neuromotor and sensory impairments. Understanding these challenges throughout the aging process can provide us with the key to helping our patients reach their potential for participation in social settings and daily life. In this session, we will examine key impairments that can arise during the aging process in individuals with childhood-onset disabilities, such as cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, and genetic disorders impacting rib cage, shoulder girdle, and pelvic mobility, and their effects on respiratory function, oral function, and activities of daily living (ADLs). We will also explore treatment strategies, particularly those addressing thoracic cage mobility and pelvic mobility and their relationship to respiration and oral motor function coordination. The session will include a lecture and in-depth discussion of case studies, focusing on targeting identified impairments to improve respiratory function, oral function, and ADLs.