So you want to be rid of your pain?
It's been bothering you for over a month and just doesn't seem to be getting better. What should you do? Will anything help?
With over 20+ years of experience, I can confidently say that it is a very rare occurrence when I'm not able to help my patients. Having said that, I will say that the amount of improvement and the speed at which it happens almost invariably comes down to this. (*Note- if there's one take home lesson that I would have for my patients when they first come see me- this would be it)
How Important is it to you to get better?
"What?" you might exclaim. Why else would I be here!!
But you really should stop to really consider this question.
If I've learned one thing about my patients in all these years, it's that some people say that they want to get better- but as a priority this falls way down their list. And truthfully, I have no issues with people having other priorities- family, work, vacations, etc. Heck, our lives can get busy! However if getting better isn't one of your top 5 priorities in life when you come to see me- it's very likely not the right time for you to start orofacial physical therapy. I hate to see people disappointed and waste their time if they're not truly committed. That means on average seeing me for 5 treatment visits and doing your exercises daily for about 15 min/day. Could it be less than that? Yes. Could it be more? Yes. But I think this is a pretty good baseline expectation for people who don't know what to expect.
What I've found is that if patients that see me don't devote some time at home to addressing their problems, then in most cases their problems can persist... especially as it relates to orofacial problems, neck pain & headaches. If the cause isn't addressed, symptoms will still often improve with my help. But if the cause isn't addressed, it will likely cause symptoms to merely reoccur or at the very least take longer to resolve.
If your schedule is too busy to make the commitment, maybe there's other options. Maybe you & your doctor have found that pain meds are acceptable to help take some of the edge off for awhile.
And when you're ready to consider Orofacial Physical Therapy, you might again ask yourself the question...
How important is it to you to get better?
I look forward to helping you.
Respectfully,
-JONATHAN
It's been bothering you for over a month and just doesn't seem to be getting better. What should you do? Will anything help?
With over 20+ years of experience, I can confidently say that it is a very rare occurrence when I'm not able to help my patients. Having said that, I will say that the amount of improvement and the speed at which it happens almost invariably comes down to this. (*Note- if there's one take home lesson that I would have for my patients when they first come see me- this would be it)
How Important is it to you to get better?
"What?" you might exclaim. Why else would I be here!!
But you really should stop to really consider this question.
If I've learned one thing about my patients in all these years, it's that some people say that they want to get better- but as a priority this falls way down their list. And truthfully, I have no issues with people having other priorities- family, work, vacations, etc. Heck, our lives can get busy! However if getting better isn't one of your top 5 priorities in life when you come to see me- it's very likely not the right time for you to start orofacial physical therapy. I hate to see people disappointed and waste their time if they're not truly committed. That means on average seeing me for 5 treatment visits and doing your exercises daily for about 15 min/day. Could it be less than that? Yes. Could it be more? Yes. But I think this is a pretty good baseline expectation for people who don't know what to expect.
What I've found is that if patients that see me don't devote some time at home to addressing their problems, then in most cases their problems can persist... especially as it relates to orofacial problems, neck pain & headaches. If the cause isn't addressed, symptoms will still often improve with my help. But if the cause isn't addressed, it will likely cause symptoms to merely reoccur or at the very least take longer to resolve.
If your schedule is too busy to make the commitment, maybe there's other options. Maybe you & your doctor have found that pain meds are acceptable to help take some of the edge off for awhile.
And when you're ready to consider Orofacial Physical Therapy, you might again ask yourself the question...
How important is it to you to get better?
I look forward to helping you.
Respectfully,
-JONATHAN
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