Today we’d like to introduce you to Lauren Rivera.
Hi Lauren, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I started off working as a physical therapist in outpatient orthopedics. It is a fast-paced environment that requires juggling several patients with various conditions and injuries at the same time. I loved it and felt very passionate about helping patients recover and return to a better quality of life.
I started to see some patients referred to us who were suffering from TMJ disorder and found that no one in our clinic had a lot of experience working with this condition. As someone who has dealt with TMJ disorder myself, I decided to dive a bit deeper into the research and expand my knowledge on this condition as well as jaw surgery because many of these patients were struggling to find a provider that could help them get relief. It was quite challenging to address all the needs of these patients because the outpatient clinic was not set up for the one-on-one care that was needed. As the influx of patients with orofacial issues seems to rise, I decided it was time to move forward in another way so I could focus on that population.
I started my own business doing physical therapy and wellness focusing on orofacial pain and dysfunction, such as TMJ disorder, cervical spine conditions, and headaches. I can focus on one patient at a time and provide whatever services may be indicated such as manual therapy, dry needling, and exercise to help patients achieve optimal results without the limitations of insurance. As of now, I do virtual and in-person physical therapy, myofunctional therapy, and coaching for these conditions.
Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
One of the most challenging things I have run into along the way is advocating for my patients. Disorders involving the jaw and orofacial region are often complex and difficult to manage. This is because they require a team approach which typically includes a dentist, orthodontist, ENT, physical therapist, and sometimes a chiropractor. And on top of that, the team needs to be good at collaborating and advocating for the patients.
I have run into several situations where patients tell me that their dentist said there was nothing that could be done for their jaw pain or the dentist didn’t believe physical therapy would help them. It was painfully difficult to drop into dental offices to create a discussion about how to best serve their patients who are suffering and explain how I could help because most didn’t want to even have the discussion.
So part of my journey was to educate people through social media on ways that physical therapy can be helpful for TMJ issues and orofacial pain. Since I have started doing that, many people have reached out and started working with me.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
I am a physical therapist specializing in jaw and orofacial pain, neck pain, and headache conditions. I utilize myofascial release, manual therapies, dry needling, and exercise programming to help people find relief.
There are very few providers who have expertise in TMJ conditions and know how to treat them conservatively (without injections or surgery).
I want people to know that just getting a night guard for their condition is not enough and they are missing out on proper care. I also want people to know that there is hope to find relief from TMJ disorder and other orofacial pain conditions despite being told otherwise by their dentist or doctor.
We all have different ways of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
My idea of success is being able to help someone find relief and improve their quality of life. Helping people get back to doing what they love and being able to eat pain-free and function optimally in their day-to-day.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.reviveyourlifept.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reviveyourlifept/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ReviveYourLifePT
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@reviveyourlifept?si=gqq0oEUmOAVyhENm
