Exercise therapy for trismus in head and neck cancer.

The aim of this study was to analyze retrospectively effects of exercise therapy on trismus related to head and neck cancer or as a consequence of its treatment, and to compare these effects with trismus not related to head and neck cancer. Medical records of patients referred to the department of physical therapy with the diagnosis trismus were retrieved and analyzed. Data of 27 patients with trismus related to head and neck cancer and data of eight patients with trismus not related to cancer were found. The number and type of exercises were registered from the records, as was the extent of mouth opening before and after exercise therapy. The median (IQR) number of exercise treatments was 4 (3-9.3). Exercises included active range of motion exercises, hold relax techniques, manual stretching and joint distraction. The increase in mouth opening was significantly (p<or= 0.05) less in the group of patients with trismus related to head and neck cancer (mean increase: 5.5, sd: 6.0) as compared to the increase in mouth opening in the group with trismus not related to cancer (mean increase: 17.1, sd: 9.0). The mean number of treatments given to the group with trismus related to head and neck cancer (7.7) and the group with trismus not related to head and neck cancer (6.1) did not differ significantly. It is concluded that trismus related to head and neck cancer is difficult to treat with exercise therapy.