Breathe First

Breathe First: myofunctional and Buteyko therapy in Altrincham and online

Breathe First is a clinic specialising in myofunctional therapy and Buteyko breathing re-training. It treats adults and children, both in person at its Altrincham practice and online, with declared coverage across Greater Manchester and the Midlands. Its approach combines two complementary therapies which, according to the company, can be used separately or together depending on the results of the initial assessment.

Two complementary therapies

Myofunctional therapy retrains the tongue, lips and facial muscles to support nasal breathing, healthier swallowing and stable jaw posture. The company applies it to issues such as mouth breathing, snoring, temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pain, sleep apnoea, recovery after tongue-tie surgery and orthodontic stability.

The Buteyko method is a breathing re-training programme led by practitioners trained in this technique. It corrects hyperventilation patterns and, according to the clinic, helps with asthma, anxiety, sleep quality, snoring, energy and focus through nasal breathing and CO₂ tolerance work.

Issues addressed

The clinic lists the following reasons for consultation:

• Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pain and dysfunction: pain, stiffness, clicking, headaches or difficulty opening the mouth.
• Mouth breathing: dry mouth, fatigue and associated facial changes.
• Tongue tie or other oral restrictions affecting speech, swallowing and breathing.
• Sleep-disordered breathing: snoring, fatigue and altered oxygen flow.
• Tongue thrust when swallowing, with possible effects on speech, dental alignment and jaw development.
• Thumb sucking and other oral habits (prolonged dummy use, lip or cheek biting).
• Sensory integration to improve coordination and focus.
• Malocclusion and orthodontic retention: support to maintain alignment after treatment.
• Speech: articulation, phonology, motor speech disorders, voice and stammering.
• Feeding: coordination, strength and sensory awareness for safe chewing and swallowing.

In the Buteyko area, the website details applications for asthma and allergies (reducing reliever medication use and symptom frequency), sleep and snoring, anxiety and stress, and energy and focus.

Clinical team

The team is led by Emily Kirkcaldy, owner and lead clinician, a highly specialist speech and language therapist with over 20 years of experience, the last five of which have focused on the airway and oral restrictions. The clinic states that its myofunctional therapy team consists of speech and language therapists and healthcare professionals with specific training in orofacial myofunctional therapy. Among them are Maureen Segree (30 years of experience), Alice Spencer (myofunctional therapy and Buteyko method), Katie Harp (over 16 years, specialising in dysphagia and neurological communication disorders), Natalie Golden (registered dental hygienist with 25 years of experience), Amy Schofield (over 13 years, speech sound disorders), Helen Fraser (over 18 years), Sophie Harkness (airway and dysphagia specialist, PhD candidate in unexplained swallowing difficulties) and Lauren Derbyshire (over 20 years in the NHS, specialising in severe speech difficulties and language disorders in children).

Products and resources

Breathe First's online shop sells products and kits to support breathing, posture and sleep. Brands distributed include REMplenish, Froggymouth, Myo Munchee, MyoTape, MyoSpots, Breathe First and ARK. The catalogue is organised into categories such as sleep and snoring (mouth tape and breathing kits), nasal breathing (REMplenish bottles and nozzles that train the tongue while drinking), children's products (devices and tools adapted to small mouths) and posture and oral training (Munchee, Myospots and therapist-prescribed kits). The website shows, among others, Myo Munchee in various sizes, Froggymouth, the REMplenish Myo-Nozzle & Straw mouthpiece and straw, and the REMplenish 18 oz / 511 ml plastic bottle kit with mouthpiece and straw. The company states that it ships worldwide and that countries without a local store can pay in GBP.

It also offers free resources, informative articles and regular webinars. The clinic also mentions that one of its articles on myofunctional therapy as a solution to snoring was featured on the This Morning programme.

Consultation and online care

The practice operates from a clinic in Altrincham and through online sessions. The company treats adults and children and offers a discovery call to guide treatment. The published clinic hours are Tuesday to Thursday, 09:00 to 17:00.

Location and contact

Email: hello@breathefirst.co.uk · Hours: Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday: 09:00-17:00