- Have you heard of dry needling? It is a modality administered within Physical Therapy for trigger point and muscle spasm relief. (You have to be certified to do this!) Essentially it is the use of an acupuncture needle to go into the muscle belly to help release the trigger point and to stimulate the body's natural healing. A friend of mine did a couple sessions of dry needling to each of my masseters, which has brought some pain relief!
- I also was able to find a Physical therapist to help me with some manual therapy to regain my jaw opening. I saw her a few days ago for the evaluation and was a bit surprised to find out how much my neck has actually tightened up through this whole processes. You know when you haven't realized that you are twisting your whole body around while driving to check your blind spot until someone asks you about it? :) Turns out that has been a contributor to all the muscle tightness around my mouth/jaw. She did a little bit of gentle manual therapy work and gave me some new exercises to work on as it turns out I was being WAY to aggressive trying to force my jaw opening and I was actually doing more damage than good (which is why healthcare providers really should not "treat" themselves, but always find a skilled practitioner).
- No news on the food front. I'm still managing a soft food diet, but it is really so much better than squeezing liquids into my mouth with a syringe that I can't complain!
Its also hard to be upset about anything when the sun is shining and it feels like spring is finally here! I see the Orthodontist again in a couple days, so I should have another update soon!
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