What it is a tongue tie and does it matter if I have one?

This is a question of personal interest to me as I struggled with chronic tension in my body my entire life. I had been through many different therapies to try to release the tightness in my body and improve my flexibility but without lasting success. I found significant help from my journey in the Postural Restoration Institute method. As a physical therapist, I started the training to benefit my clients but found it to help myself with some of my pains as much as anyone else. 

While I did find great benefit from the PRI method, I continued to struggle with stiffness, neck pain, and headaches. My journey in working with mentors highly skilled in the PRI method led me to the discovery that I had a tongue tie. For me, my tongue tie plays a significant role in my body’s tension as well as contributes to my headaches. 

The definition of a tongue tie according to the Oxford dictionary is “a malformation that restricts movement of the tongue”. Everyone has what is called a frenulum which is a cord-like attachment from the underside of your tongue to the bottom of the floor of your mouth. It is a necessary and normal attachment. The problem is when this frenulum is too short or thick and restricts movement of the tongue abnormally. 

Some other possible issues that are related to tongue ties could be sleep apnea or a less severe form called respiratory distress syndrome which contributes to waking up not feeling well rested. Tongue ties can be the underlying cause of forward head posture, pelvic floor issues, tension headaches, difficulty swallowing, difficulty breathing, neck pain, and back pain, etc. 

It is important to note that there is a grading scale of severity for tongue ties. If you struggle with some of the issues mentioned above it may not be due to a significant tongue tie. In that case, I encourage you to seek help from a PRI trained therapist who can guide you in activities to release the tension in your body and improve your neck posture. If you do suspect a significant tongue tie I would advise seeking a consult from a myofunctional therapist for evaluation and treatment strategies.