Tongue-Tie and the Chiropractor
My recent inspiration for this weeks blog post comes from the many family, friends, and patients around me that are dealing with tongue-tie in their newborns. Chiropractic care for pediatrics still produces the astonishing eye brow raise and sharp intake of breath when people try to imagine why newborns and children need chiropractic care, and it is even harder to imagine as they witness their children glowing happily from a pile of dirt or jumping joyously from couch to couch to avoid hot lava.
However, when it comes to tongue-tie, it can be understood how much the structural trauma of childbirth alone can produce developmental issues in the growing newborn. This serves also as a perfect example how all children, as they bounce from every fall and bump into every wall, can be affected by misalignments in their spine and pressure on their nervous system. To this we are alluding to (not limited to) immune disorders, hyperactivity, postural distortions, and even digestive disruptions.
“A baby whose tongue is tethered tightly to the floor of his mouth likely also has tight muscles in the surrounding area. ”
There are many muscles that make up the lips, cheeks, and tongue that are responsible for breastfeeding. These muscles not only attach to the jaw and neck, but are innervated by the nerves that stem from the base of the skull. Pressure on these nerves and misalignment of the bones that facial muscles attach to, will disrupt the flow of latching, sucking, swallowing, and breathing.
By using light pressure, specific contact points, and gentle adjusting techniques, a chiropractor will be able to help realign cranial bones, jaw articulations, and stretch the muscles within the mouth. From there, the parents will be guided on how to assist the baby's cranial mobility during breastfeeding. As a chiropractor that treats many children, it is important that caretakers are involved in the process so they can understand how invaluable and receptive this approach is to their baby's health.
As with most things, this is the fun of it all! To end chapped nipples, blocked milk ducts, fussy babies, and the emotional tug at your heart as you see your baby struggle for that drop of milk. Watch and feel how babies show us how our body functions properly when there is correct structure and mobility within our spines and our nervous system.
Link here to a great resource by a lactation consultant's blog.
Thank you for reading,
Dr. Katherine McCarty, D.C.