Tongue position: how it affects the body

Which is your tongue position right now? Resting on the upper palate, on the lower palate, between the teeth, behind the incisors…

It is important to know how we position our tongue, both when we are at rest and when we are exercising. Having a correct tongue position is more important than you think.

The ideal tongue position is to have the tip of the tongue resting on the hard palate, behind the incisors, at the “palatal point.”

The resting position of the tongue is fundamental; having a position other than the “ideal” one can lead to changes during swallowing and phonation, creating an overload on all muscles connected to these actions and causing postural problems.

The causes of por tongue positioning

There are two main causes for poor tongue positioning:

SHORT LINGUAL FRENUM: Sometimes, a baby may have a short lingual frenum, which causes the tongue to form a heart shape. This can be due to genetic factors or birth trauma resulting in cranial dysfunction. The assessment of the frenum should be carried out by a pediatrician who will perform a frenotomy in the first case, whereas if it is due to a cranial problem or a change in suction, they may refer you to an Osteopath; in these cases, breastfeeding difficulties are very common.

ATYPICAL SWALLOWING: 50% of the world’s population places the tongue not on the palate but between or behind the teeth. The cause is generally incorrect stimulation of the tongue in childhood due to artificial feeding, birth trauma, or orthodontic work.

In both situations, this leads to an incorrect postural change of the head, which will tend to shift forward, causing an overload of the posterior neck muscles and an alteration of spinal function, creating possible cervical or postural pain!

SWALLOWING AND POSTURE, THE IMPORTANCE OF TONGUE POSITION

During the day, we swallow about once per minute and, during the night, once every 2 minutes, for an average of 500 to 600 times a day. The position of the tongue should be with the apex resting on the palatal point, behind the incisors.

Every time we swallow or make an effort, the tongue presses against this point and stimulates the nervous system. This is the nerve ending of the nasopalatine nerve—part of the fifth cranial nerve, the trigeminal nerve—which is the largest cranial nerve that innervates the face, eyes, nose, and mouth.

In addition to this nerve activation, poor tongue positioning can also create headaches or neck and postural pain, because the head and the body adjust to the position of the tongue.

The tongue musculature is related to the entire neck through the hyoid bone (a small horseshoe-shaped bone located at the front of the neck), extending down to the shoulder. A forward head position, due to a short frenum or swallowing problems, overloads the muscles and structures of the neck, causing pain.

In these cases, postural work by an Osteopath is useful, as they collaborate with dentists and speech therapists to rebalance and improve tongue position, eliminating pain.

Atypical swallowing can, therefore, create various types of postural problems, ranging from cervical and lumbar pain to headaches or chewing issues.

Problems caused by incorrect tongue position

Having an incorrect tongue position can create not only postural pain but also very common pathologies and dysfunctions that can interfere with our daily life; here are some examples:

Respiratory system

The respiratory system is vital for the human body; without it, we would not live. If the position of the tongue is incorrect, its movement and function are altered or restricted, thus becoming the cause of: sleep apnea, snoring, teeth grinding, or phonation problems. The position of the tongue affects how we breathe, sometimes causing us to breathe through our mouths and affecting the position of the head and, consequently, the entire body. Open-mouth posture can cause fatigue, attention problems, or hyperactivity.

Breastfeeding or artificial feeding

During the first months of life, the baby needs to be fed with milk and must have the correct suction biomechanics to do so. Tongue functionality is crucial to allow for a good latch to the breast or bottle. A good latch, in turn, creates an adequate flow of milk, which is their only source of nutrition. Correct suction function is vital for the newborn, but sometimes the mother or the baby may have problems that hinder this process, creating frustration for the mother or developmental issues. It is important to evaluate all dynamics that can influence breastfeeding, such as a short frenum, plagiocephaly, flat head syndrome, gastroesophageal reflux, colic, TMJ dysfunction, etc.

Chewing

Without the correct movement and function of the tongue, it is not possible to move food from side to side and have correct chewing for complete digestion. It is well known that the first phase of digestion takes place in the mouth and that, to do so correctly, we should chew 30 times before swallowing food.

Obstructive apnea

Obstructive sleep apnea is a condition in which breathing during sleep is totally or partially interrupted. One of the main symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea is snoring, which appears at the very beginning and gradually becomes louder until the individual stops breathing for a few seconds and then resumes normal breathing. One cause is an incorrect tongue position that obstructs the airways. People suffering from this condition may experience daytime sleepiness, lack of concentration, sleep disturbances, headaches, and dry mouth upon waking.

Phonation and communication

Our verbal language begins around one year of age with a few sounds. Children are fascinated by our voice, our tone, and our words. Tongue movement is important for the pronunciation of words and sentences and for socialization with others. Phonation problems are often caused by poor tongue positioning, which is why the work of a speech therapist from an early age is very important.

Exercise to correct tongue position

If you want to correct the position of the tongue, you must learn to position the tongue at the palatal spot and maintain this position several times a day.

Place the tip of the tongue against the hard palate; you should feel small ridges just behind the upper incisors.
Using suction, press the rest of the tongue against the upper hard palate.
Allow the mouth to close.
Maintain this position and breathe normally.
Try to swallow while maintaining the tongue’s pressure in this position.

Try to repeat this exercise several times throughout the day, especially as you become more aware of your tongue’s position.

Article written by Sebastian Guzzetti
Osteopath and pediatric osteopath in Lisbon, with over 10 years of experience in Italy. Degree in Human Motricity with a specialization in Sports Sciences.