Tethered Oral Tissues

Tethered oral tissues are thickened or shortened tissues that restrict proper movement of the tongue, lip or cheeks. This limited movement can impact breastfeeding, bottle feeding, breathing and airway mechanics, speech, and orthodontic health. Tongue-tied babies and children practice sucking against resistance until their ties are released. Generally, there is significant muscle dis-coordination that causes the child to nurse inefficiently. Chiropractors can alleviate significant muscle tension with bodywork or CST. Tongue ties can contribute to torticollis as a factor in nursing difficulty. Dr. Richerson is a trained pediatric chiropractor, proficient in hands-on approaches to provide care for infants with tongue and/or lip ties. She works inside and outside of the mouth to stretch tight muscles, and uses myofascial techniques to release adhesions that restrict jaw, tongue, and lip movement. Simple exercises are then performed and discussed with parents to help promote full movement of the oral structures and neck. She also checks for proper movement of the neck and performs gentle, safe adjustments to the spine. Pediatric chiropractic care is an ideal solution for children pre- and post-revision.