Presented by: Jennifer Hobson, PT, DPT, MTC, CFC
Original Lecture/ Publication Date: November 11, 2026 (Webinar Series)
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Course Description:
Airway stability is often framed as “tongue-up posture,” but emerging evidence suggests that negative intraoral pressure (vacuum) is the true driver of functional stability. This lecture introduces vacuum-based tongue-to-palate stabilization as a critical mechanism linking oral posture, swallowing, and airway function. Dr. Jenny Hobson will present new findings comparing palatal expansion (Hyrax) with and without Up-locker suction training in children with sleep-disordered breathing, demonstrating improved outcomes in sleep quality and snoring when vacuum is integrated. Foundational research on breastfeeding mechanics further supports that effective swallowing is vacuum-driven rather than compression-based. Participants will gain a clinical framework to assess and train suction stability across ages, integrating airway function with craniofacial development, myofunctional therapy, and interdisciplinary care.
Learning Objectives:
- Differentiate “tongue-up posture” from true vacuum-based tongue-to-palate/oropharyngeal stabilization, and explain why the difference matters in airway dentistry and myofunctional therapy.
- Summarize current evidence linking vacuum mechanics to effective swallowing/breastfeeding and connect this mechanism to pediatric airway development, sleep-disordered breathing, and oral function.
- Apply a clinical framework for integrating Up-locker suction training with palatal expansion, oral-rest posture therapy, and whole-body airway mechanics to improve symptom outcomes and long-term stability.
Speaker Bio:
Dr. Jenny Hobson is a European-trained physical therapist with advanced expertise in manual therapy, craniofacial rehabilitation, breathing retraining, and oral posture correction. She is one of only two physical therapists in the U.S. selected to teach Dr. Mariano Rocabado’s TMD and craniocervical method through the University of St. Augustine, where she earned her doctorate, manual therapy, and craniofacial certification. In 2010, she was instrumental in changing the IL PT practice act to include Dry needling through the help of her mentor, Dr. Jan Dommerholt. Dr. Hobson’s integrative approach draws from the structural foundation of Rocabado’s work, the functional breathing science of Patrick McKeown, the upper airway suction airway stabilization, and the neurologic cranial nerve regulation strategy.
Through this unique fusion, she developed a comprehensive system that restores airway health by retraining posture, breathing patterns, and nervous system balance. Her model integrates manual therapy, dry needling, myofunctional techniques, and craniosacral work to address conditions like TMD, sleep-disordered breathing, migraines, and chronic pain.
Dr. Hobson treats both pediatric and adult patients at her three Hobson Institute locations in Chicago and offers a range of online and in-person courses for medical professionals and patients alike. She teaches the Rocabado method to PTs and dentists and is actively training interdisciplinary providers in her “Intro to Airway Evaluation & RX” course, advancing a collaborative approach to airway-centered care. Her mission is clear: to help people breathe, sleep, and heal through structure, function, and regulation.