Symptoms of trismus include:

• Increased jaw pain.
• Inability to open the jaw. This means you cannot fit three fingers (lined up vertically) into the front of your mouth between the top and bottom teeth.
• A spasm or “tight” feeling when trying to open your mouth.
• Difficulty chewing, talking, breathing, and brushing and flossing your teeth.

If you have trismus, you may be at risk for choking. Trouble with chewing your food could cause you to change your diet, and lead to less than adequate nutrition. Even moving food around in your mouth can be hard with trismus because the tongue also may lose some mobility.

Not using your TMJ may lead to wasting or shrinking of the muscles that move the jaw, and possible damage to the TMJ surfaces.

Your medical team may suggest additional treatments to complement your physical therapist’s treatment. Using mouth splints to help with stretching has been proven effective. Other possible options include Botox injections to relax tight muscles, laser treatment, and surgery.

Your physical therapist can help restore the natural movement of your jaw and improve your daily function. Trismus tends to develop slowly. In some people, it progresses so slowly that they don't notice it until they can only open their mouths half-way. The sooner you see your physical therapist, the better. Treatment that begins before trismus progresses is likely to be more efficient and effective.

If you have trismus, your physical therapist will choose the right treatments to improve your jaw movement and relieve pain.

Improve your jaw movement. Your physical therapist may prescribe stretches and range-of-motion exercises for your jaw. They will personalize the frequency and intensity of movements to ensure your safety. Your physical therapist may recommend specific techniques, such as stretching or self-mobilization, to minimize your pain and restore function.

Physical therapists also use hands-on techniques (manual therapy) to gently increase movement. Hands-on therapy also can help to relieve pain in tissues and joints. Manual therapy offers immediate and long-term effects on jaw movement for radiation-related trismus.

Your physical therapist may guide you through special "low-load" strengthening exercises. These exercises will avoid putting too much pressure on your TMJ. They can help you strengthen the muscles of the jaw to restore more natural, pain-free movement. Your physical therapist also may teach you gentle exercises that you can do at home to help you steadily improve your jaw function.

Relieve your pain. If your pain is severe, your physical therapist may apply treatments to reduce pain and improve motion. These may include electrical stimulation or deep heating. Physical therapists are experts at designing pain treatment programs that lessen the need for medication, including opioids.

All physical therapists are prepared through education and experience to treat a variety of conditions or injuries. You may want to consider:

• A physical therapist who is experienced in treating people with orthopedic or musculoskeletal problems. Some physical therapists have a practice with a craniofacial (skull and face) or TMJ (jaw and facial pain) focus.
• A physical therapist who is a board-certified clinical specialist or who completed a residency or fellowship in orthopedic physical therapy. This physical therapist has advanced knowledge, experience, and skills that may apply to your condition.

You can find physical therapists in your area with specific clinical expertise and credentials by using Find a PT, provided by the American Physical Therapy Association.

General tips when you're looking for a physical therapist (or any health care provider):

• Get recommendations from family, friends, or other health care providers.
• Ask about the physical therapists' experience in helping people with trismus when making an appointment.
• Be prepared to describe your symptoms in detail and say what makes them better or worse.