“I looked, and I don’t see a tie.”

For many parents, this sentence is the beginning of a long, frustrating journey of chasing symptoms like fragmented sleep, chronic gas, and delayed motor milestones without ever finding the root cause.

In this episode of Kids These Days, Dr. Courtney Lynn sits down with Dr. Kayla Culbertson, a pediatric Occupational Therapist and specialist in tethered oral ties. Dr. Kayla shares her own "in the trenches" story of how an oral tie release for her son resolved 8 days of constipation and changed his nervous system overnight.

We move beyond the anatomy of a "string under the tongue" to explore the Inside-Out reality: how the fascia in our mouths is connected to a "Frontal Line" that travels all the way to our toes. If the system is tight at the top, the whole baby feels the flood.

In this episode, we discuss:

1. The Frontal Line: Why oral ties cause "fisted" hands, curled toes, and hiked-up shoulders.
2. Function over Anatomy: Why a "posterior" tie can be invisible to the eye but devastating to a baby's regulation.
3. The Vagus Nerve & GI Connection: How the tongue's position at the palate acts as the "off-switch" for the survival brain.
4. Compensations vs. Growth: Why you don’t "grow out" of ties; you simply grow into lifelong workarounds (and the toll that takes).
5. The Therapy Bridge: Why you should never "just cut the tie" without prepping the nervous system first.

Remember: You don't have to be perfect to be a great parent, we are all learning about how to raise Kids These Days.

1. Dr. Kayla's website: https://www.thriveandshinetherapyllc.com/
2. IBH Practice Website: www.integratedbhs.com
3. Newsletter: Sign up for the Integrated Behavioral Health Newsletter for monthly parenting tips and tricks.
4. Instagram: Follow @integratedbh for "Inside-Out" insights.

Legal Disclaimer: While this podcast may provide information that is educational in nature, it is not intended to be a health care service, psychotherapy, or the practice of psychology. This podcast’s main purpose is to provide educational insights for all stages of child and family development. We will not provide diagnoses or specific recommendations for your family. At no point is a therapeutic relationship established by way of your unilateral participation by listening to these episodes, and we cannot provide advice or privileges associated with a therapeutic relationship. We recommend that anyone who is seeking a therapeutic relationship reach out to Integrated Behavioral Health at info@integratedbhs.com to begin the interview process of becoming a client or receiving a referral. If at any point in your listening or engaging with the content of this podcast, you experience an emergency, please immediately call 911 or go to your local emergency room.