"Look after the ones you want to keep"

When I was a kid I used to kick up a fuss about brushing my teeth.

It was boring and as far as I was concerned, a big waste of my time.  I’ll never forget what my dad told me – “That’s fine”, he said “just brush the ones you want to keep”. Duh Dad I want to keep all my teeth.

This is something that has resonated with me years later when I was studying to become a physio and kept hearing the phrase - "Use it or Lose It". This never seemed to fully capture the whole story for me. So the analogy of teeth cleaning is something I use when helping my patients rehab their injuries- because it doesn’t just apply to our teeth, it applies to every part of our bodies.

Be honest, how often have you gone to the physio/chiropractor/osteo/massage therapist and asked them to "fix you", then walked out the door feeling great so you carried on with the same routine as before and ignored their advice about strengthening and stretching. ...

If the answer to this is yes then the next question is: did the pain come back?

If it did (and in most cases it will), there is a strong chance that the muscles/joints/ligments that are giving you grief are doing so because you aren't looking after them the way you should be and you are not allowing them to heal.

Your Toothbrush: 
Consistent stretching
Your toothpaste:

strengthening exercises

Your mouthwash:

adequate rest
 

Stretching and strengthening exercises will be dependant on your specific issues, so seek professional advice before self-diagnosing or starting a rehabilitation programme. You want to ensure that everything you do assists in your recovery and maintenance. 
 

If you want to overcome your pain and have a healthy body, treat it as you do your teeth & make it part of your daily routine.