What Are TOTs?
Tethered Oral Ties (TOTs) are tight restrictions in the tongue, lip, or cheeks that limit movement. For babies, this restriction often shows up as latch difficulties, reflux, gas, colic, or long nursing sessions without satisfaction. For moms, TOTs can lead to painful nursing, clogged ducts, mastitis, and frustration with feeding altogether.
But TOTs aren’t just about feeding. Left unresolved, they may affect speech, dental development, sleep, and even posture down the road.
Why TOTs Are Often Missed
Many parents are told, “It’s normal, they’ll grow out of it,” when they share concerns. But the truth is that TOTs can easily be overlooked because providers may only look at the tissue itself — not at how the restriction impacts the whole body.
At Pinnacle Chiropractic, we’ve seen time and again that a tie is never just about the tissue. It’s about the tension in the nervous system and fascia that keeps babies from functioning at their best.
Our Recommended Path to Healing
The best outcomes we see follow a three-step care path:
- Nervous System First → We begin with INSiGHT scans and gentle adjustments to calm the nervous system, reduce fascial tension, and help the body prepare for release.
- Tie Release → We refer to trusted local providers who specialize in tongue and lip tie releases, ensuring your baby is neurologically ready for the procedure.
- Post-Release Nervous System Support → Continued chiropractic care helps the body heal, restore oral function, and prevent tension from coming back.
This approach not only improves feeding outcomes but also supports sleep, digestion, weight gain, and overall neurological development.
The Functional Medicine Connection: Folic Acid vs. Folate
A growing area of research points to a functional medicine perspective on why TOTs are becoming more common.
In the late 1990s, synthetic folic acid began to be added to most prenatal vitamins and fortified foods to prevent neural tube defects. While well-intentioned, studies now show that over half of the U.S. population cannot properly methylate folic acid due to genetic variations (like MTHFR).
When synthetic folic acid isn’t methylated, it can build up in the body and interfere with midline development — the same midline structures involved in tongue and lip ties.
The preferred option? Folate in its natural, methylated form (5-MTHF). Folate is more bioavailable, meaning the body can use it efficiently without creating the same risks for buildup. This is why functional medicine providers and neurologically focused chiropractors recommend folate over folic acid during pregnancy.
Why Chiropractic Care Makes a Difference
Chiropractic care is not about “fixing” ties directly — it’s about reducing the stress and tension that make ties harder for babies to adapt to.
- Before release → adjustments reduce fascial and cranial tension, preparing the body ahead of time for the release.
- After release → chiropractic care supports healing and restores proper function to the body.
- Long-term → care contributes to better oral development, improved sleep, digestion, and calmer, more connected babies.
Families travel from Bradenton, Sarasota, Lakewood Ranch, and beyond because they want answers — and hope — for their babies.
The Next Step for Parents
If your baby is struggling with latch, reflux, poor sleep, or if you suspect a tongue or lip tie, don’t ignore your gut. These struggles are often signals of hidden stress and tension in the nervous system.
📞 Call us today at (941) 822-8828 to schedule your baby’s INSiGHT scans. These scans give us a clear picture of where stress and inflammation are stored in your baby’s nervous system — and help us create a care plan to support them from the inside out.
Because your baby isn’t broken. Their nervous system just needs the right support to thrive.
