When you try anything new, whether a hair product or an exercise regimen, you may question whether it will work. Will this new thing you brought into your life have the desired effect? Usually, it takes a certain amount of time to answer that question, and the timeframe can vary. With physical therapy, it can sometimes take a while to see progress, and you may begin to question whether starting it in the first place was really worth it. Are you actually getting better, or are you wasting your time and money?

When you take your car into a repair shop, the mechanic will ask you a few questions. They will probably ask what happened and what exactly needs to be fixed. But the one question a mechanic will never ask you is why you need your car to be fixed. The answer, of course, is implied: cars are essential to our lives, and we need them to be fully operational at all times.

Trying anything for the first time can be daunting, especially a new medical treatment. If you have a chronic condition, it can be a trial-and-error process to find the treatment that really works for you and your symptoms, which can feel frustrating and endless.

After work, like many other Americans, you head to the gym. As you’re doing your usual weight-lifting routine, you feel a muscle spasm in your shoulder, and not in a good way.