Difficulties in Mouth Opening- TMJ/Jaws Stiffness.

gurusank
gurusank Member Posts: 13
edited April 2014 in Head and Neck Cancer #1

Dear All,

Its nice to see good and positive responses from each one of you on my earlier post.  Thanks for that.

To give a quick background, my wife is diagonised with MEC @ right Hard palalte and under gone a surgery of removal of it from the palate. She had a flap which is taken from her arm to close the hole @ the tumor place.

Flap is doing good and its healthy but she is having some problems with the mouth opening now. Post operation Drs advised her to excersie with an tool (like Therabite) and with Tongue depressors. With that she can able to open her mouth 2 CM/20 MM max. But in all other time she cant able to open the mouth which is getting down to 0.5-1 CMs (5MM-10 MM) other times. Its more like TMJ syndrome.

If anyone have any inputs/methods to open mouth please share which will be very helpful for us.

Looking forward for your replies.

Thanks in advance,

Guru

Comments

  • jwilli
    jwilli Member Posts: 9
    #2
    hardto open mouth

    I too have dfficulty opening my mouth  after removal of most of my tongue. Physio has helped with massage and exercises. I can't use the tongue depressors as they hurt my teeth but the exercises have helped as I do them at home daily...hope this helps and hang in there......my heart goes out to you because I can empathize.

  • ValeIT
    ValeIT Member Posts: 23
    #3
    Ciao

    I also had difficulty opening the mouth after surgery. They say that it was the trauma of muscle and nerve. 

    Initially I opened my mouth to 2.5 cm, but now I open my mouth to 4.8 cm. 

    I think it is a normal opening. 

    It takes several months, you'll see that it will settle. 

    To improve it is necessary to do simple exercises with her mouth and massages. 

    Do not rush and do not strain too.

  • hlrowe
    hlrowe Member Posts: 80
    #4
    Have the doctor order

    a speech pathologist. He/she will measure the current opening and will do massaging and exercises during the visit. They will also give homework Smile . Really helped me!

  • luv4lacrosse
    luv4lacrosse Member Posts: 1,410 Member
    #5
    Therabite

    Have her doc write a scrip for a "Therabite." It is a mechanical device that will allow for a very gradual stretching of her jaw. I'm almost 4 years out and still use it once daily. The bilateral neck rads killed the original mobility in my jaw. it is not cheap, 450-550 dollars, but well worth it. Google search Atos Medical, I think they are in Wisconsin.

    Best

    Mike

  • Hondo
    Hondo Member Posts: 6,636 Member
    #6
    G’day Guru

     

    I have the same problems as you’re with, my mouth will only open 8 to 14mmI. I have two different devices that I use but the Therabite I no longer use. If you would like I will send it too you no cost just happy someone could use it. If you want it click on my mane Hondo and you will see my e-mail address. Just send me you address and I will ship it out as fast as I can.

     

    Hondo

  • gurusank
    gurusank Member Posts: 13
    #7
    Hondo said:

    G’day Guru

     

    I have the same problems as you’re with, my mouth will only open 8 to 14mmI. I have two different devices that I use but the Therabite I no longer use. If you would like I will send it too you no cost just happy someone could use it. If you want it click on my mane Hondo and you will see my e-mail address. Just send me you address and I will ship it out as fast as I can.

     

    Hondo

    Thanks Honda. May i know what exercise?

    Dear Honda,

    Thank a lot for asking. We are suprised and honored to see such wonderful human beings with helping tendency so nice of you ,god keep blessing you. We already have Therabite kind of tool with us.Smile

    Dear all,

    Many thanks for your responses. Mouth opening becoming our concern in daily basis. My wife is doing exercise with the tool and tongue depressor. 

    Would like to know what kind of other exercise and massaging you did to achecive it?

    It Will be great, if you can provide me any link and some basic steps she will do it. 

    Many thanks for your responses. Feeling happy !!

    Thanks,

    Guru

  • hwt
    hwt Member Posts: 2,328 Member
    #8
    gurusank said:

    Thanks Honda. May i know what exercise?

    Dear Honda,

    Thank a lot for asking. We are suprised and honored to see such wonderful human beings with helping tendency so nice of you ,god keep blessing you. We already have Therabite kind of tool with us.Smile

    Dear all,

    Many thanks for your responses. Mouth opening becoming our concern in daily basis. My wife is doing exercise with the tool and tongue depressor. 

    Would like to know what kind of other exercise and massaging you did to achecive it?

    It Will be great, if you can provide me any link and some basic steps she will do it. 

    Many thanks for your responses. Feeling happy !!

    Thanks,

    Guru

    Guru

    I also have trismus. My original tx was 2+ years ago and it wasn't until recently that I found out about the tongue depressor exercises. I am now going to Mayo and the doc told me it wasn't too late to see improvement. I can do about 6-8 tongue depressors as he said not so many as to cause any pain. It has helped, even late in the game. I haven't looked at an actual link but check under trismus.

  • nick770
    nick770 Member Posts: 195
    #9
    hi  Guru, 
    I wish you the

    hi  Guru, 

    I wish you the best of luck. Practice your excercises as often if not more. 

    Keep working awy and it WILL get better 

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