Well, I'd like to welcome Angie here. She has been a patent within our clinic for the past couple years. And she can tell a little bit about her story. So thank you for being here today Angie and telling us. Tell us about your pain. >> Well, I have a lot of pain everywhere. Typically in my jaw. In my temples and in my neck and shoulders. I do have a previous injury in my back as well that tends to flare up every now and then, but kind of a lot of, lot of places. >> Yeah, and how often does it occur? >> daily. >> And when it's, it's there all the time, or is it just- >> It's- >> There for hours? >> The jaw pain is the most prevalent of the pain. But that one sometimes I can get under control. But sometimes it's there days upon days, and. >> And how intense is it on a, on a average? >> If I could rate it on a scale of one to ten, I'd probably put it at about a five. >> And does it fluctuate too? >> It does, some days are better than others, but at its worst, it's, it's, been at a ten-. >> Yeah. >> Before, so. >> And how, what are the things that make it worse? >> Any sort of movement, really. I mean, talking, eating, yawning any sort of movement >> Mm-hm. >> Really. >> So you have other pains also. Tell us about your headaches and your neck and shoulder pain. The headaches I believe, come from my muscles, which I've been told, that's, that's-. >> Mm-hm >> Typically where they come from. And so, if I've been doing something, you know, like sitting at my desk with poor posture, anything like that. That'll bring on a pretty bad migraine. My migraines typically happen on the left side of my head. And I get it in my temple area, and typically it will radiate from my jaw, and the base of my neck. >> Mm-hm. >> So. >> So, how does it impact your life? the, what changes? >> Well, I do have a family at home. Just extra curricular activities aren't really there, or either that or I'm not involved in them. A lot of times it's kind of just a feeling of defeat. Just kind of you're not able to really do anything that you enjoy because you're in pain all the time. And you don't want to be around other people and cause them, you know, have them feel your pain,. >> Yeah. >> You know, because you're complaining about the pain, but. >> What about emotionally? How does it impact? >> emotionally, I do have a little bit of depression. And I, I do have a bit of anxiety. I do see a therapist about it which helps tremendously. because that can kind of help with stress management and things like that, but, emotionally, it's, it's taken its toll. >> Well, tell us how the pain impacts your lifestyle, such as your sleep patterns or your daily activities and your work. >> I do have trouble falling to sleep, if I, especially if I'm already in pain. typically, when I lay down to go to bed, it's, hard to find a comfortable position, for my neck and shoulders. And, then if my jaw is hurting, throbbing or whatever, it's, it's really hard to fall asleep. But it does affect, so it affects my sleep. And work life just really, you know, I sit down in front of my computer and if I'm already in pain, it's like I don't want to do anything today. But I have to, so I have to just kind of fight through it and it's just pretty difficult. >> Mm-hm. So what do you do for self management of the pain? >> Well, I've purchased a couple of items off of Amazon that were recommended to me by the physical therapist. And those tend to help tremendously. I do a lot of stretching. I've learned how to stretch my jaw in a way that it's not over-stretching it to, to make it hurt worse. because I was, I was doing everything wrong. Even though I thought I was doing it right- >> Yeah. >> I did my own research. But then I came here and found out that hey, you probably shouldn't be doing that. But mediation and I do a lot of reading, trying relaxing. And one thing, if I could give one answer for this is really just kind of taking myself out of that place and time and saying, how am I feeling right now. >> Mm-hm. >> Just doing a self-check and going, hey, am I clenching? Am I tensing up? Am I using the right posture? What am I doing? And then typically I find that I am in fact [LAUGH] out of line. So, I'll, I'll fix it and then just really kind of try and pay attention to it the rest of the day. >> How about exercises? Do you do, exercise every day? >> Exercise everyday. I do do a lot of cardio. I am unable to do like weightlifting and things like that at this point, just because my muscles are so, injured, I guess I would say. I mean they're really extremely tight and they don't want to work, and. >> Mm-hm. >> Lifting weights aggravates it quite a bit, and so I don't typically do the weights yet, but I hope to get there. >> Yeah, so how does the pain affect you at work? Do you make any ergonomic changes to help reduce it? >> Ergonomics, I, my place of work, I'm fortunate enough that they have somebody there that will come to your desk and set you up ergonomically correct. >> Mm-hm. >> And I did do that, and that has actually helped tremendously. They set up my keyboard to make sure that my wrists were, were in the right area. My seat was the correct height at my desk. And I also actually have the oppor, or, ability to raise my desk. >> Mm-hm. >> So that I can stand while I'm working, and so I do that kind of stuff too. >> Yeah, very good. >> So. >> Well and how about the approach that you found at our clinic here in terms of, working with you as a, as a team? >> I cannot say enough good things about what I found at this clinic. And that's, that's not a joke. I'm a, I have struggled with pain for 15 years. >> Mm-hm. >> 15 years. And I have always been told, by every provider, I can't help you with this, go here. Oh, well you have this problem? Well, you need to go here. And so finally, I just did a Google search and I said, I need help with, you know, my jaw. And this clan, this clinic popped up and it said Minnesota Head, Neck and Pain. And I went, well, I have all of the above. So I made an appointment and found out that every person, you know, between, you know, your mind, with like psychology. Your body with physical therapy, your head with the neurologist and you, with, you know, jaw issues, you're all under one roof. Everybody talks to each other. >> Mm-hm. >> Everybody knows what's going on with you. And it's just, it's been a tremendous help, and a great, great experience. And it's just, it's changed my life. [BLANK_AUDIO]
