Restless Mouth Syndrome, Speech Therapy Work – Case Report

Keywords

obstructive sleep apnea - restless legs syndrome - myofunctional therapy - photobiomodulation - stomatognathic system

Introduction: Restless Mouth Syndrome (RMS), also related to the description of Burning Mouth Syndrome (BMS), is characterized by a burning sensation and intraoral pain with no associated medical or dental etiology. There are only 12 reported cases of burning mouth syndrome (BMS) at least partially responsive to dopamine agonists. Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) is a sensory-motor disorder whose main element is the intense and almost irresistible need to move the legs, which ends up interrupting and impairing sleep. In recent years, studies have suggested that Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) may not be limited to the legs, but may involve other isolated anatomical regions of the body, with or without symptoms in the legs.

Objective: To report the case of a 67-year-old female patient with the complaint: “I can't sleep because of Restless Mouth Syndrome” who underwent specific orofacial myofunctional therapy (SOMT).

Methods: Anamnesis was taken on the history of the disease, signs and symptoms, activities of daily living, sleep and application of the following scales: RLS/RMS Severity Scale; Snoring Analog Scale (SAS) and WHOQOL-BREF quality of life questionnaire, before and after SOMT. She had a history of difficulty maintaining healthy sleep, tiredness and daytime sleepiness, the need to move her mouth at any time of the day, with worsening at night and a diagnosis of moderate obstructive sleep apnea (AHI = 21.7 e/h) and PLMS = 0.7 movements per hour, with RLS and RMS, and underwent SOMT. The SOMT consisted of muscle relaxation exercises and thermotherapy associated with photobiomodulation techniques and Intravascular Laser Irradiation of Blood (ILIB), which consists of irradiating the blood with a low-intensity laser.

Results: The SOMT consisted of 8 sessions, one per week lasting one hour. There was a reduction in the RLS/RMS Severity Scale from severe (30 points) to moderate (20 points); an improvement in quality of life, an improvement in SAS, a reduction in the sensation of discomfort in the oral cavity, even going for two consecutive weeks without discomfort.

Conclusion: OMT combined with photobiomodulation and ILIB techniques reduced oral symptoms and improved sleep quality.

No conflict of interest has been declared by the author(s).

Publication History

Article published online:
16 September 2025