Signs of Body Tension and It’s Impact

First, what is ‘tension’? Usually you would think of just of muscles, however this applies to all soft tissues, including tendons, ligaments and fascia (connective tissues). We need these tissues to be balanced, and in homeostasis throughout our body for optimal functioning. So, what happens if they aren’t? We can often look and see subtle cues that our bodies are not in balance, and you may have some of these yourself. In babies, it can be especially hard to pinpoint some of these and if they’re ‘normal’ or not. Some signs you might see in your baby are:

  • Recessed jaw

  • Tight lips/mouth with difficulty opening

  • Shoulders high up to the ears or scrunched neck

  • Thumbs stuck in the palm, or continued fisting of the hands after 30 days old

  • Limited or jerky movements of the arms and legs

  • Poor digestion

  • Increased spit up/vomiting

  • Open mouth breathing

  • Curled/tight feet and toes

  • Irritability/fussiness/’colic’

 

What causes body tension?

A lot of times, tension can be just from being born. The pressure from the birth canal, contractions, C-section birth, twin or multiples gestation, getting wedged in one place in the womb for extended periods, etc can all contribute to increased tension. Typically, the body can work this out and all is well, however sometimes that does not go away and the baby starts to compensate to work with the tension for survival. Our babies are so smart, but this compensation often leads to poor, inefficient motor plans, making that baby work too hard just to try to thrive. This trickles down to poor eating patterns, poor sleep, and delayed developmental milestones etc. Other causes of tension could be use of forceps or vacuum extraction, surgeries/procedures, and tethered oral tissues.

What can we do about it?

Fortunately there are lots of tools to help your baby, so many, that it can be overwhelming on where to begin. First, if you have concerns about your child’s development a visit to your pediatrician or a conversation at their appointment is a great place to start. Other professionals you might come across are Chiropractors, massage therapists, cranial sacral therapies, cranial sacral fascial therapies, occupational therapists, physical therapists, etc. With such a wide range of professionals, how do you know who to go to? It all depends on that person’s training and background. Don’t be afraid to ask that professional what they know about your concern, or what trainings they’ve taken. You’ll often see the term ‘bodyworker’ in relation to tethered oral tissues, or body tension. This is just a professional who works with the body and soft tissues to bring balance to that system. There are many tools that professionals will use. Some of the tools we use at ProActive are CFT, MNRI reflex integration, Neuromuscular Re-education, oral motor retaining, Myofunctional therapy, TMR and breathing neuro re-education.

 

If you have any questions we’d love to help you on your journey to optimal functioning for your child. Don’t hesitate to reach out to us!

Sydney Euchner