Referred by a myofunctional therapist, a teenage boy presented for bodywork before his tongue-tie release. His parents were not ready for what I had to say. His speech problem did necessitate my therapy and a surgical procedure, but his general health conditions went much deeper.
He had head, neck, shoulder, back, and lower-back pain. He was on ADHD, allergy, headache, and nasal medications. As a teenager, I wondered where his life was headed.
He had a zero-second brain cycle and tightness throughout his body. On top of a complex situation, he was undergoing orthodontics that restricted his brain motion.
During the intake conversation, he was unusually combative with his dad. I could see very clearly that he was still stuck in sympathetic nervous system mode, probably from a traumatic birth. It was heartbreaking for me to see this rough interaction with his caring dad.
I quickly found out that this visit was the family's first exposure to any provider practicing outside the medical model. Since my perspective was completely foreign to them, I immediately understood where they were coming from.
I explained to them that the tightness in his body was having a lot to do with his general health issues. I was proposing another way of care that could possibly eliminate some or most of his medications and give them hope that he could possibly function like a normal teenager.
Because his body was so tight, I recommended to them a local massage therapist who did deep tissue muscle work. I also recommended a pediatric dentist who could offer a "brain-friendly” option where he could possibly not have to wear an orthodontic appliance every night for the rest of his life.
If the parents reject my suggestions, I am fine with their decision. My job is to give them an honest assessment of their son’s health situation and offer an approach that could possibly result in a better life for him.
Difficult cases like this one demonstrate why the work at birth is so critical for any human being. I believe that if he had this therapy at birth, the family would have had a different experience. Gillespie Approach Training is so needed for birth professionals.
