How Your Tongue Could Be Causing Your Headaches – Health Digest

Your tongue has many moving parts; one of those parts is the thin strip of skin, known as the “frenulum,” that adheres it to the floor of the mouth. People with tongue-tie have a shorter, thicker, or tighter band of tissue connecting their tongue to their mouth in the front or back, making articulating certain sounds or creating certain tongue movements difficult. For example, AirSync Integrative Dentistry notes that adults with this condition might find it hard to move their tongue side-to-side or stick it out. The tongue can also appear heart-shaped if the tip is tethered to the mouth. 

Tongue-tie (ankyloglossia) is present at birth, so it can’t just happen over time or get better. The Cleveland Clinic also notes it can run in families, so if your parents have the problem, it’s possible that you do, too. It is most commonly noticed in newborns having trouble latching on during breastfeeding, but it might go unnoticed until adulthood.

If tongue-tie is left untreated, the person might develop adaptive behaviors over time to compensate for the limited mobility of their tongue. This can affect how their tongue sits in their mouth, leading to jaw pain, headaches, and shoulder pain. The tongue is attached to the hyoid bone, a U-shaped bone at the middle of the neck and base of the mandible (per StatPearls). This condition can put tension on the hyoid, which is what leads to its painful symptoms.