Your tongue has a resting position. Are you using it?
The Monthly-ish # 3: April 10th 2026
I’m a little tardy with this month’s newsletter, but it's finally here to brighten up this rainy Friday.
If you've ever brought a baby to see me, there's a good chance we've talked about tongue ties.
It's something I work with a lot in practice. Most parents are surprised to learn how much the tongue influences feeding, sleep, and development in those early months.
Lately I've been thinking about the other end of the spectrum, though: what happens when a tongue that was never quite working properly grows up?
Last month I sat down with a myofunctional therapist - someone who works specifically on retraining the muscles of the mouth, tongue, and face in older kids and adults. It was a fun conversation, and it got me thinking about how many of my adult patients might have a tongue story they don't even know about yet.
Because here's the thing: your tongue has a resting position. Ideally it sits gently against the roof of your mouth. When it does, it supports your jaw, encourages nasal breathing, and takes a surprising amount of load off your neck and jaw muscles.
When it doesn't - whether that's because of an old tie, a habit, or just never being shown otherwise - everything downstream compensates.
And that compensation can show up as:
Jaw tension or clicking
Persistent neck tightness
Headaches that keep coming back
Mouth breathing (which keeps your nervous system more wound up than it needs to be)
Want to try something right now?
Press the tip of your tongue to the spot just behind your upper front teeth. Now try to spread the rest of it flat against the palate.
Feel strange? For most adults it does. Try holding it for 30 seconds a few times today and notice whether your jaw feels any different.
If any of this sounds like you - the jaw tension, the headaches, the neck that just won't loosen up - it might be worth exploring in your next treatment. Let me know what you think!
But, since life isn't just about tongues, here's what else is happening in my world this month…
FOR MYSELF: I’m deep into my nerdy read of the month - Sunrise on the Reaping (a Hunger Games prequel).
FOR MY FAMILY: Longer days and (slightly) warmer weather mean evening walks are back in the mix.
FOR THE PRACTICE: A few of you already noticed that I updated the sign in my treatment room. It’s feeling a little fresher in here and all ready for spring to properly arrive.
Ta ta for now,
Osteopathic Manual Practitioner
