I will be honest, when I first started working with babies and tongue/lip ties, I had no idea what I was talking about (sorry to my first few patients, I know so much more now). I honestly thought they meant tongue twisters and had to go home and look them up.
I still send people to the professionals on the subjects, IBCLCs and pediatric dentists as I can only tell when they are really bad. I always say we all would do better for our patients if we just stayed in our lanes.
Are you like I used to be and confused?
I got you! Tongue ties and lip ties are a common diagnosis I hear about from patients when they are having breast feeding issues with their babies. When there is a tie of the tongue or the lip, it changes the way the mouth and tongue can work. If the tongue and/or the mouth can’t work at their best, then breastfeeding will be difficult for the baby (and in turn, the mom). Oftentimes, there will be pain on the mother’s part and frustration and colic on the baby’s end. Luckily, there are almost instantaneous ways to fix them via tongue/lip tie revisions as well as adjustments and soft tissue work.
When I’ve spoken with the dentists in town that do tongue tie and lip tie revisions, they prefer that their patients get body work done prior to and following the treatment. The exercises they give you following a revision are important to prevent scar tissue from forming, which opens up a whole other can of worms when it comes to breastfeeding.
As a chiropractor, I am always trying to get a patient’s body to move as close to optimum as possible. When we can do this, everything just goes smoother, including breastfeeding. However, when it comes to tongue ties, looking at breastfeeding is SO SHORT-SIGHTED. It can affect someone their entire life (just ask me). It can lead to TMJD, texture issues, speech problems, etc.
I was a formula baby and never had a problem eating or gaining weight (Awesome.), I was happy all the time and never showed any signs of discomfort, so my parents (and many at the time) never even heard of tongue ties or lip ties. So now I am one of the lucky ones who gets to deal with TMJD, a texture problem and neck tightness. Sure, I could get it revised, but I’ve figure life out now and am lucky to be married to someone who can fix it.
My adult patients who have had their ties revised have some pretty amazing things to say about it.
What I typically look for and notice is that a baby may only open one side of their mouth or have a side preference. They may also have tightness at the top of their neck. By using an adjustment and some soft tissue work, we are often able to get them back to feeling better quickly and their recovery following a revision is quick.
If you suspect your child has a tongue tie or a lip tie, please reach out to see if we can help and as always, if not, I will be glad to give you the names of our favorite professionals.
Our number is (210) 323-2163.
