To anyone who has trismus. I dont want to waste my time going to yet another doctor who wont be able to help me. Have any of you gone thru physical therapy for trismus? My dentist referred me to a physical therapist who specializes in TMJ.

I have developed trismus as well. My RO gave me a large handfull of tongue depressors and said that they will do what the expensive devices will do. My dentist said pretty much the same thing. My dentist also gave me a brochure on TMJ with exercises that you can do at home for it. (Possibly the same kind of exercises that you would receive at PT, but I'm not sure) I've been using the tongue depressors and they seem to work ok, but I still can't open my mouth as wide as I used to be able to. I guess I'll just keep working on it. Hope this helps.

Ive done the tongue depressors, can only get 2 in. I also do all kinds of jaw exercises. Im starting to work with a speech therapist and soon the physical therapist. Im hoping they will help me to make progress with the therabite. Im pretty much going from doctor to doctor trying to find someone who will 'fix' me.

I need extensive dental work. I have done HBO which has helped significantly with fatigue and pain. Once I am able to open my mouth then I can get my dental work completed.

I found therabyte much more effective than the tongue depressors.

At about a month after surgery, my surgeon asked if I was working on opening my jaws......I said that I didn't know anything about that, and he said, well you'd better get busy (as if I should have known that!!) He ordered the Therabyte, and I used it faithfully. I feel that it saved my ability to open my mouth. I still stretch and exercise my mouth many times a day, and I even use my hand to pull my lower jaw downward to force it open a bit more than it wants to open. If I had not done this, I would have been restricted forever....and if I don't keep doing it, it tightens up some.....not like after surgery, but some. I even have found that massaging that strip of tissue that holds your jaw together did some good.....at least I imagined that it did. I used my thumb, since it was easier to get it back there, and I warmed it in some warm water.....helped to soften and stretch that tissue, I felt.

He also told me....sorta off-handedly.....that I'd better get busy massaging my neck (again, as if I should have known to do that...scares me to think he might have forgotten to mention that.) now my neck is as soft and pliable as the other side, though there is less tissue there, and I can feel every blood vessel and tendon. I hope I don't run into a sticker bush, or I'll bleed to death! Seriously, I got some lovely cream, and I really "worked it over" like he told me to do, and I still give it a going-over every night when I put "stuff" on my face for night-time.

I found that the Therabyte forced me to work harder than I could have done with the depressors. It is mucho expensive, though, so if insurance won't pay for it, you might consider another method.

If you need it, you should have it, regardless of the price. Don't settle for compromised bite opening unnecessarily!!

Hi Christine,
You do not say where you are in PA. While I did not have a major trismus problems, the PT I go to in Lawrenceville, NJ, just south of Princeton, specializes in TMJ. He does intra and extra oral massage as part of his treatment. He treated me after both my neck dissections and radiation. If you would like his name and number, please email me.

Take care,
Eileen

My mother has developed trimus after surgery in january
She is now on a feeding tube because she cannot open her mouth to eat. She had tongue depressors and the therabite system. Her speech is muffled and she has to write things for us to understand her. He doctors are not giving us any conclusive information as to why she is in soooooo much pain she is on daluadid and has a a patch on her arm for pain. She lost a tooth the other day just came right out from the root. She still spits blood clots. I do not know what to do. We think that after surgery there maybe some gauze packing or some other material left inside her. Would an MRI pick that up. Her doctors are scratching their heads and we need answers. Currently at UPENN in Philadelphia

Has anyone had to use or been recommended to use Dynasplint? I've heard it costs $30k.

What is it Stephen?

Eileen, Im too far from your area. I live over an hour north of Philly. Maybe that would help Ameenah's mom. Ive heard of Dynasplint. A while back someone on here had been posting info on it.

Im still waiting to start physical therapy, its being held up cuz of insurance.