OSTEOPATHY AND TETHERED ORAL TISSUES
Don't compromise quality
When a healthcare professional recommends bodywork in conjunction with a tongue, lip, or buccal tie release, most patients do not understand why it is needed. It is not clear to patients how optimal swallowing and tongue function is dependent on more than just releases of the tethered oral tissues. A release is a crucial piece of the process, but have better-reported outcomes with the right team. This can include myofunctional therapists, properly trained lactation consultants, and quality bodywork. (Podcast interview where Dr. Lopez discusses why bodywork is needed).
Those who provide bodywork are in charge of understanding and addressing how swallowing and tongue function is affected by the whole body. The reality is that most bodyworkers, even many who claim to be experts, don't understand why bodywork is needed or what to do. Adding to the confusion, most patients have never even heard of osteopathy or osteopathic treatments. So why should you choose osteopathic treatments, specifically Inspire Osteopathy Denver, over other bodywork?
Who Performs Osteopathic Treatment?
Osteopathic treatment is a hands-on therapeutic intervention provided by an osteopathic physician or D.O. In the United States, D.O.s are fully-licensed physicians and have equal practice rights to their M.D. counterparts. Osteopathic medicine differs in its philosophy and anatomy-based training to make therapeutic corrections in the body. Osteopathic physicians attend four years of medical school, internship, and residency and do testing to get board certification.
D.O.s have the highest level of education and training compared to other bodyworkers. No other bodyworker (not chiropractors, craniosacral therapists, massage therapists, physical therapists, etc.) can claim to be a fully-licensed doctor. Others may claim to use "osteopathic techniques," but that doesn't mean the results will be the same. The most important part of the treatment is knowing what to do and where. That is much more complex than just techniques.
What Is Osteopathic Treatment Like?
An osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) is based on the philosophies of osteopathy and the doctor's understanding and interpretation of them. Because of this, OMT can be vastly different from doctor to doctor. At Inspire Osteopathy Denver, Dr. Lopez and Dr. Curtis customize their approach and techniques to get the best and fastest results possible. Variations depend on who they are treating and what tissues they are treating. For example, treating a newborn is generally more gentle than treating an adult.
Their treatments can range from gentle and subtle to requiring active effort from the patients. They do not resemble chiropractic adjustments, massage, or PT. Inspire Osteopathy Denver does not use thrusting or "popping" techniques because they don't provide long-term results. Patients often describe their bodies feeling "light," "loose," or "floaty" after their treatments. It is a different feeling than they get with other bodywork.
Why Inspire Osteopathy Denver For Tethered Oral Tissues?
Not every osteopathic doctor providing osteopathic treatments understands or treats tethered oral tissues. It is a controversial and misunderstood topic, even within their profession. Both Dr. Curtis and Dr. Lopez have been studying tongue ties and tethered oral tissues since 2014. Specifically, they examine how the tongue affects the rest of the body anatomically and vice versa. Dr. Lopez has had a tongue and lip tie release himself and they have had personal experiences in their family.
Their learning has involved developing manual treatment of the mouth, tongue, and airway while pioneering how the rest of the body reacts in response. They have attended tongue and lip tie releases in person to feel the changes before and after. Along with all this, there has been a lot of study of anatomy in-depth. The anatomy of the mouth pharynx, larynx, throat, and how it relates to the rest of the body is complex.
To be most effective in addressing these structures, a bodyworker must have the proper skills and knowledge. They must understand how the tongue can affect the rest of the body. They must also understand how the rest of the body can affect the tongue and swallowing. Along with the knowledge, they must have the ability to help trigger changes in the body to help undo the dysfunctions affecting these areas. Most bodyworkers don't have this knowledge, understanding, and skillset.
If you or a family member is going to have a tongue, lip, or buccal tie release, you owe it to yourself to get the best care possible for the best outcome possible. Dr. Curtis and Dr. Lopez have taken medical school-level anatomy, then added 40-hour cranial courses, other courses, and spent years discovering more. All this to help you or your family member the best care there is. When you're at Inspire Osteopathy Denver, you can relax knowing you're getting the best care there is - "Breathe...we got you."
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