Can Fixing Posture Improve Breathing? - Zac Cupples, PT | JawCast #21

Zac talks about what’s lacking in conventional physical therapy, and how the body is a single unit, not a bunch of unconnected parts to be put into different silos that are the exclusive domain of so-called specialists.

He and Ron go on to talk about the importance of the lower airway and on having a passion for your job and life.

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Ron's Favorite Mewing Gum
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Zac’s website
https://zaccupples.com

Zac’s YouTube playlist of Mewing exercises (i.e. myofunctional therapy exercises)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJWs_DVET30&list=PLDuV0qqeblvdxPwp5gbmoGlF6bWIYF92W

0:00 Introduction to this interview with Zac, the first physical therapist on JawCast
1:15 How Zac differs from conventional physical therapists: he addresses the body as a unit, rather than unconnected parts
5:52 Areas where conventional physical therapy education is lacking
7:59 How does poor facial structure damage the rest of the body?
13:40 Ron snores about a quarter of each night, whereas another with narrow, retruded jaws does not - the SnoreLab app is good for finding out if you snore, and how badly
15:21 Ron hears about the lower airway for the first time; the expansion of the ribcage and the movement of the diaphragm are important parts of breathing
20:08 The risk of harm in movement-based interventions is far lower than artificially changing the body’s structure
21:43 Physical therapists have the misconception that there's a best posture; any position will get uncomfortable after a while
22:32 What can be done for the lower airway? How helpful can improving it be?
34:53 For a patient who has forward head posture, open mouth posture (perhaps mouth breathing), and hunched shoulders, instead of stretching their pecs and other tight muscles, Zac would have him lie on his stomach and gently breathe while focusing on the movement of the diaphragm
42:35 The connection between successful physical therapy and mental health: relaxation leads to better sleep, which leads to better physical and mental health
46:33 How good are Zac's physical therapy results? Some see life-changing improvements after one session, but he's never cured anyone's sleep apnea by himself
51:15 Does Zac often hit a wall with patients because of his conservative therapy? The necessity of maxillomandibular advancement surgery (MMA) for the health of some people, and the benefits of conservative treatments for others
55:38 Zac's favorite modalities in physical therapy: fitness, including strength training; myofunctional therapy; sleep hygiene; massage; nutrition; chiropractic; getting the help of psychologists/ENT surgeons
58:44 How to be a better Mewer: Zac's Mewing tips are to develop: a comfortable lip seal; a good smile; and to be sure you're able to: make certain unusual faces; move air into all the quadrants of your cheeks; (for those with narrow maxillae/dental arches) bend your tongue into a form that allows it to rest on the roof of the mouth; chew and swallow well
1:01:56 The dangers of maxillary expansion: it's unpredictable; it can relapse
1:05:23 Why does maxillary skeletal expansion (MSE) often cause asymmetry - the influence of asymmetrical facial muscles
1:13:40 Looks maxing to the point of becoming attractive is what's most important to many: Zac and Ron give their opinions on the blackpill: most Hollywood leading men and women don't have good facial structure; being passionate and unusually competent in your vocation is very attractive to some women
1:25:25 If your life has purpose (or you have a good social circle), there are big health benefits: it reduces pain, inflammation, and strengthens the immune system
1:29:23 In the year and and a half that JawHacks was on hiatus, Ron was not right; his work life lacked passion; people with a passion are more resilient
1:33:57 Ron recommends young men go into one of the trades (self-employment) - who wants to go to universities with the state things are in? Electricians are better off and happier; working outside in the cold winters is a biohack; Zac recommends against studying to become a physical therapist
1:38:44 People with eating disorders (anorexia, bulimia) are uncomfortable with people being physically close to them (in terms of distance)
1:39:53 People used to have many children and derive fulfillment from that, now people prefer pleasure; housing prices today make settling down harder
1:45:10 Where to find Zac Cupples, and what services does he offer?