First Priority Physical Therapy Services
Meet Bekkah Corkey, First Priority Occupational Therapy's Lead Physical Therapist! Bekkah received her doctorate in physical therapy from Virginia Commonwealth University. Since graduation, Bekkah has experience in orthopedics as well as pediatrics. Bekkah has treated ages 4 weeks to 99 years of age, with diagnoses such as hypotonia, developmental delay, torticollis, Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, Spina Bifida, and toe walking.
Bekkah is currently pursuing training in myofunctional therapy and will be a Certified Myofunctional Therapist this fall!
Bekkah specializes in...
Torticollis
(Neck tightness)
Delayed gross motor milestones
Plagiocephaly
(Flat head)
Tethered oral tissues
(Tongue tie)
Difficulties with tummy time
Myofunctional therapy
MYOFUNCTIONAL THERAPY
Bekkah will be a Certified Myofunctional Therapist this upcoming fall of 2023. Bekkah is excited to be offering this service to the metro Richmond community!
What is Myofunctional Therapy?
Myofunctional therapy aims to re-train the muscles of the mouth, face, neck, and tongue to promote normal breathing, eating, and talking. Myofunctional therapy has been established for over a century, but has become more widely-discussed as we have seen more research about the prevalence and effects of dysfunctional mouth posture and breathing.
Can Myofunctional Therapy Help My Baby?
... Kind of! Technically myofunctional therapy is indicated for ages 3 and older, but Bekkah has taken courses on oralmotor training in infants to help with breastfeeding and bottle feeding. Bekkah really enjoys coming alongside new moms and helping them meet their feeding goals, whatever they may be!
Why Do Gross Motor Milestones Matter?
Bekkah's Developmental Therapeutic Process
Our bodies are designed to learn skills at certain stages of life to help with reflex integration, general strength, vestibular development, engagement with environment, and cognitive development. If we "skip a step", it can set us up for attention deficits, asymmetries, weakness, difficulty with posture and balance, and so much more. Bekkah prioritizes the normal developmental process in her therapy intervention to help little ones be as successful as possible.
Why Does a Head Tilt or Abnormal Head Shape Matter?
Our bodies are designed to be symmetrical. When there is asymmetry in one part of the body, it will result in asymmetry in other parts of the body, impacting rolling, sitting, crawling, and walking. Asymmetrical head shape can potentially lead to issues with depth-perception, visual motor acuity, ill-fitting helmets, and eyewear.