The Missing Piece: Treatment Planning

There’s something crucial missing in most intro myofunctional therapy courses — and even in the wider myo community.

We talk about anatomy, function, airway, compensation patterns. We learn the exercises. We practice implementation. And sometimes we’re handed pre-made therapy programs to get us started. And listen — that’s not a bad thing. Those ready-made programs can be helpful scaffolding when you’re still figuring out what works, what doesn’t, and how different patients respond.

But what no one’s really talking about is this: how do we actually plan therapy?

Not just follow a plan — but deviate, redirect, rebuild, re-sequence when a patient’s progress demands it.

Yes, we’re taught how to accommodate and troubleshoot in theory. But the reality is, if we don't have a clear understanding of how to assess progress and adapt accordingly, we’re doing a disservice to our patients — and making our work harder than it needs to be.

1. Why We Need to Map Out the Plan

Sure, a generalized approach is a fine place to start — especially when you're new and still gauging how different patients work through the plan. But once you get into the flow of clinical work, scattered notes and long lists of exercises become a minefield of confusion. Trying to remember where each patient is at — and where they’re supposed to go next — can quickly lead to burnout.

Having a structured treatment plan gives you clarity. You can quickly reference what’s been completed, what’s next, and what needs revisiting. It becomes your roadmap, your checklist, and your sanity-saver all in one.

2. Understanding Exercise Sequences

When a patient hits a roadblock with an exercise, what do we do? Go back? Try something else? Repeat it longer?

And on the flip side: when they master something — what comes next?

Exercise sequences matter. A lot. They’re more than a checklist. They’re a clinical map of function. A clear sequence helps us know what foundational skill to return to when something’s not clicking — and where to go next once it is. Without a plan, we’re just reacting. With one, we’re intentionally guiding.

3. Pacing is Part of the Plan

Pacing is an art — and it’s one we’re not often taught how to master.

Too fast, and you lose traction establishing foundations. Too slow, and patient interest fades. Part of treatment planning is learning how to move patients from lack of tone and disorganized patterns through active function and finally toward habituation. You’re not just prescribing exercises — you’re managing momentum.

4. Using the Plan to Stay on Track

When we’re deep in sessions, it’s easy to lose track of whether we’re making the kind of progress we should be. Are we meeting the patient’s goals? Are we fulfilling our clinical goals for therapy? Are we still just circling around basic function or are we moving toward long-term change?

A well-built treatment plan helps answer all of those questions — clearly. It also helps you map out variations for different types of patients, track where adjunct therapies fit in, and see exactly where patient education and behavior change should be introduced.

This is why treatment planning isn’t just a clinical formality. It’s the backbone of how we guide our patients from dysfunction to lasting, functional change.

And it’s a conversation we’re finally having — in depth — in our GROW series.

We break down how to build, adapt, pace, and implement personalized treatment plans that actually serve your patients and your practice. Because when we stop treating plans like fixed scripts, and start using them as flexible tools, therapy gets a whole lot more effective — and sustainable.

For guidance on creating therapy plans, check out the Grow Series Workshop #3: Therapy Templates + Treatment Planning.