Tongue-tie, or ankyloglossia, is a condition present at birth that restricts the tongue’s range of motion. It occurs when thelingual frenulum — the thin band of tissue connecting the underside of the tongue to the floor of the mouth — is unusually short, tight, or thick. While some cases are mild and asymptomatic, others can interfere with vital functions such as breastfeeding, swallowing, speech development, and even oral-facial growth.

Understanding the Impact of Tongue-Tie

Tongue-tie can cause a cascade of issues for infants, particularly when it comes to feeding. A restricted tongue may lead to:

• Poor latch during breastfeeding
• Prolonged or painful nursing sessions
• Inadequate milk transfer and low weight gain
• Maternal nipple pain or damage
• Digestive discomfort (due to air intake)
• Sleep disturbances

Over time, tongue-tie may also contribute to issues like speech difficulties, dental problems, and altered craniofacial development if left unaddressed.

4 ways chiropractic care can help with tongue tie: –

• Support optimal nerve signaling to tongue and oral motor muscles
• Align structural components attached to the tongue
• Release tension in cranial and cervical structures
• Improve suck-swallow-breathe coordination

Emerging research highlights that tongue restriction is rarely the sole factor for suboptimal breastfeeding. Structuraltension, cranial misalignments, and birth-related biomechanical forces can all impact oral function.

Resolving feeding dysfunction often requires addressing the entire tongue-to-toes biomechanical chain, not just releasing the frenulum. Beyond its role in tongue-tie support, chiropractic care can help infants recover from birth-relatedstress, restore functional movement patterns, optimize spinal health, and support neurological development — all of which are critical in the early stages of life.

By Kellie Tan, DC

Reference:

• Dorough A, Vallone S (2022). Differentiating the impact of biomechanical forces of labor and delivery vs. the effect of a posterior tongue tie on neonatal and infant feeding dysfunction: a clinical evaluation. Journal of Clinical Chiropractic Pediatrics
• Miller A, Miller J (2017). Is tongue tie really the problem? Incidence of ankyloglossia in an infant population presented with suboptimal feeding: a cross-sectional survey. Journal of Clinical Chiropractic Pediatrics
• Mills, , & Cortez, J. (2020). Integrating Chiropractic Care Into Tongue-Tie Management: A Case Series, Journal of Clinical Chiropractic Pediatrics
• Bunge J (2023) Chiropractic management of ankyloglossia & retrognathia and their impact on breastfeeding: A case study.Journal of Clinical Chiropractic Pediatrics
• Dorough Tongue Tie (2022). Pathways to Family Wellness: Summer 2022 Issue 74. The International Chiropractic Pediatric Association.
• Goldach G (2024). Tongue to Toes: The Holistic Way to Resolve Tongue “Ties” at their Root. The International Chiropractic Pediatric Association
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• Chaturvedi A, Chaturvedi A, Stanescu AL, Blickman JG, Meyers SP (2018). Mechanical birth-related trauma to the neonate: An imaging perspective. Insights into Imaging. doi:10.1007/s13244-017-0586-x.