My PT even said consistency matters more than perfection, so doing the home exercises actually helped fill in the gaps when I couldn’t make it in.
That’s what we heard too, and honestly it made a huge difference for my daughter’s recovery. She had jaw surgery for TMJ last year and we were really anxious at first—especially since missing appointments felt like a big deal. But her surgeon and PT both emphasized that it’s more about sticking with the routine, not being perfect every single day.
We got a set of printed instructions for at-home exercises (like gentle jaw stretches and resistance stuff using a spoon or popsicle stick). At first, I was nervous we’d mess something up, but they told us as long as she wasn’t forcing anything or causing pain, it was fine. If you’re unsure about a specific movement, maybe ask your PT to demo it during an appointment and let you video it on your phone? That helped us a ton.
Insurance was a nightmare here too—so much back and forth. But honestly, the home stuff filled in the gaps. Progress was slow but steady...and no frozen jaw yet.
At first, I was nervous we’d mess something up, but they told us as long as she wasn’t forcing anything or causing pain, it was fine.
This is honestly such a relief to read. I get so anxious about doing the exercises “wrong” that sometimes I freeze up and avoid them, which just makes things worse. My own TMJ surgery recovery has been this constant balancing act—wanting to do everything perfectly, but also being terrified of overdoing it and making things worse. My PT said pretty much the same thing: gentle is key, and pain means stop.
I totally relate to the insurance headaches too. There were weeks where I missed appointments just because paperwork got lost and I couldn’t afford out-of-pocket. The home routine felt like my only lifeline some days. I started keeping a little notebook to track what I did and how it felt, which helped me notice progress—even if it was super slow. Still get nervous about “frozen jaw,” but so far, so good.
If anyone else is worried about messing up the exercises, honestly—videoing the PT demo was a game changer for me too. Takes away a lot of second guessing.
I started keeping a little notebook to track what I did and how it felt, which helped me notice progress—even if it was super slow.
That’s such a good idea. I didn’t think to actually write things down, but now that you mention it, I realize I’ve been forgetting little improvements because I’m so focused on what still isn’t perfect. It’s easy to get discouraged when you’re just measuring against “normal,” whatever that even is anymore.
I totally get the anxiety about doing exercises wrong—I used to overthink every single movement. My PT also said to focus more on gentle motion than “how far” or “how many.” Still, sometimes I wonder if I’m just being too cautious and maybe slowing my own progress? Hard to know, but pain definitely freaks me out, so I err on the side of not pushing.
The insurance mess is real. Missed a few sessions myself for the same reason, and it’s wild how much that can set you back mentally, not just physically. Glad to hear the video tip helped you. I might try that next round... anything to make this whole thing less overwhelming.
