Hi Thanks for posting your query in Healthcare Magic Numbness of tongue of your niece can be explained by injury or damage to nerve supplying to tongue. That could have directly injured by trauma. If there is no complete dissection of nerve then these nerve regenerates over the time ofcourse it takes very long time may be months. If nerve are permanently damaged there they will not regenerate and one will require complex interventions may not be promising results all the time. There is possibility of bain lesions result in to abnormal tongue movement. That can be suspected when there is corrrealtion of bain lesion typical in that location which govern the movements of tongue. MRI bain gives us better idea about this and depending upon size and severity of bain lesion outcome can be predicted or expected. Regarding alternating medical practices I can say they might be helpful provided treated by fully qualified,trained and experienced caregivers Hope you find my infromation helpful for you. Takecare