Hi all,
Since surgery, I have only been able to open my mouth wide enough to insert one finger between my teeth, making eating anything very challenging ( the norm is two to three fingers stacked)

Radiation made it worse, with the tissues stiffening from the treatment. Even though I want to start trying to eat, I couldn't get much of anything in my mouth.

We just returned home after a three day visit with my Uncle. He's 81, and a practicing (for the past 55 years) manipulative massage therapist. During the visit, he did three 45 minute massage treatments on the muscles of my face and neck on both the affected and the unaffected sides of my face. The results are astounding; my mouth opens (easily, I might add) over 100% more than it did previously.

My entire face feels more "normal" than it has in 6 months. The TMJ style pain I was having is almost completely gone, and I think (as does my Uncle) that with additional work, my mouth will improve even more.

I've been seeing physiotherapists, speech and occupational therapists, dental specialists, ENT's etc. regularly at the hospital for months and the concensus has been" that's it, get used to it". I really can't wait for the next appointment to show them that there is more movement than they thought possible.
Wayne
stage IV SCC, left mandible resected 56 lymph nodes removed June 06 , 30 IMRT finished Sept 06