Can a Tongue-Tie Be Causing Your Jaw Pain?

Understanding the Often Overlooked Link Between Tongue-Ties, TMD & How Physiotherapy Can Help

If you've been living with persistent jaw discomfort, neck tension, or headaches that just won’t go away — and no one's quite been able to pinpoint the cause — you’re not alone.

For many adults over 35, especially parents and busy professionals, jaw pain often gets written off as “just stress” or “poor posture.” But what if the issue runs deeper… all the way to the tongue?

At our clinic in Buderim, we’re seeing more patients whose undiagnosed tongue-ties may be contributing to their Temporomandibular Disorders (TMD) — and physiotherapy is playing a vital role in their recovery.

What Is a Tongue-Tie, and Why Does It Matter?

A tongue-tie (ankyloglossia) is a restriction in the movement of the tongue due to tight or short connective tissue beneath it. While it’s commonly discussed in babies with breastfeeding issues, tongue-ties in adults are often missed — especially the less obvious posterior tongue-ties.

Here’s the thing: your tongue does more than just help you talk and eat. Its resting position, strength, and mobility have a major impact on:

Jaw alignment and movement
Neck and head posture
Swallowing and breathing
Craniofacial development and muscle balance

When a tongue-tie is present, the body often compensates. Over time, that compensation — especially by the jaw, neck, and shoulder muscles — can lead to chronic pain, clenching, poor sleep, and even TMD.

How Tongue-Ties Contribute to TMD (Jaw Dysfunction)

Drawing from insights in Tongue Tied by Dr. Richard Baxter and our clinical experience, here are key connections between tongue-ties and jaw dysfunction:

Altered tongue posture leads to forward head posture and jaw strain
Neck and jaw muscles overwork, creating tension and misalignment
Poor swallowing mechanics increase jaw workload
Breathing and sleep issues (like mouth breathing and snoring) can worsen clenching or grinding
Posterior tongue-ties are harder to spot — but are common in adults with chronic TMD

In other words, your tongue may be quietly driving dysfunction without you realising it.

Where Physiotherapy Comes In – A Whole-Body, Whole-Person Approach

Our approach to TMD and tongue-ties is more than just symptom relief. We bring together manual therapy, myofunctional training, dry needling, and laser therapy to support patients at every stage — whether they’ve had a frenectomy (tongue-tie release) or not.

Here’s how we help:

🔹 Pre-Frenectomy Care: We reduce muscle tension, improve mobility, and prep the soft tissues for optimal healing outcomes.

🔹 Post-Frenectomy Rehabilitation: We guide myofunctional retraining, manage scar tissue, and reset unhealthy movement patterns.

🔹 Jaw & Neck Therapy: Address long-standing compensation in the jaw, head, and cervical spine.

🔹 Myofunctional Integration: We combine breathing, posture, tongue, and swallowing techniques into your daily life.

🔹 Family Education: We equip parents and adults alike with home tools and advice to support long-term change.

We see jaw pain not just as a mechanical problem, but a whole-body issue with deeply personal impacts on sleep, speaking, eating, and daily life.

But Isn’t Tongue-Tie Treatment Controversial?

Yes — and we believe in talking about that honestly.

There is growing awareness of tongue-ties in adults, but also debate in the medical community. Some professionals rightly worry about overdiagnosis, especially of posterior ties. Others question the benefit of frenectomy procedures, especially in older patients without proper rehabilitation.

Tongue-tie surgery (especially laser frenectomy) in infants has also become increasingly common due to breastfeeding difficulties. Critics argue that non-surgical support (e.g., lactation consultation) is often underutilised and that surgical treatment is sometimes premature or unnecessary.

Here’s our stance:

Surgery alone isn’t the answer. But when a tongue-tie is clearly restricting movement and likely contributing to jaw dysfunction, a well-timed release by an experienced surgeon, combined with expert physiotherapy, can dramatically improve quality of life.

It’s about targeted, evidence-informed care for the right person, at the right time.

Let’s Talk — And Find the Root Cause of Your Jaw Pain

If you’ve tried night guards, massages, or even dental work without lasting relief — it might be time to look at what’s happening beneath the surface.

Whether you’ve already had a tongue-tie release or just want a second opinion, we’re here to help you move, speak, and live better.

📍 LCSC Physiotherapy — Buderim, Sunshine Coast

📞 Call us: 07 3532 8605

🌐 Visit: www.lcscphysiotherapy.com.au

📅 Book Online: Click here to book an appointment

📍 Suite 2, 24–26 Gloucester Road, Buderim, QLD 4556

By Simon