ABSTRACT:
Background: Trismus is an uncontrolled inability to open the mouth or jaw. It interferes mainly with daily activities such as chewing, swallowing and talking, brushing teeth and the tonic contraction of the muscles of the mastication and spasm. It results in the limited ability to open the mouth. It occurs due to several factors such as tumour invasion in the masticatory muscles or in the Temporo mandibular joint, fibrosis induced by radiotherapy, oral infections, and oedema after surgery or due to pain. Objective of The Study: To find out the effects of TheraBite exercises to relieve pain and increase range of motion in Trismus among oral cancer patients. Methodology: A convenient sample of 30 subjects were solicited from Saveetha medical college and hospital and the subjects were diagnosed with oral cancer and divided into two groups. Group-A (Control group) has restricted mouth opening due to trismus were given jaw mobilization exercises. Group-B (Experimental group) also have restricted mouth opening and were subjected to therabite exercises and they were also given jaw mobilization exercises. Both groups were given treatment for 2 weeks. Post-test NPRS and functional outcome were taken and evaluated for statistical analysis. Outcome Measures: Numerical pain rating scale for jaw pain, A regular ruler for measuring the inter-incise distance. Results: Statistical analysis was done to identify the difference between pre and post test measurements by paired t test analysis. The two tailed p-value is less than 0.0001 by conventional criteria, this difference is considered to be extremely statistically significant for experimental group. Conclusion: It was recognised that trismus patients were initially undergoing an increased rate of difficulty in jaw opening but after a two weeks of jaw mobilization exercise and therabite exercises there was an appreciable increase in their mouth opening and relief of pain.