Trismus refers to inability to open the mouth which can be caused by trauma, surgery, radiation or mental stress. The consequence of trismus could have many serious health issues including reduced nutrition, speech difficulty and poor oral hygiene.
Trismus occurs due to tightening (spasm) of the cheek muscles or due to scar formation in the tissues around the cheek such as the muscles, soft tissue lower jaw joint (TM joint). This is noticed commonly after radiation treatment for oral causes which produces inflammation due to local radiation induced burn that leaves scar tissues that result in trismus and difficulty in swallowing. Stress related trismus is curable through yoga. This is seen as a manifestation of long standing suppressed emotional stresses which usually goes with stress related oral infections, gum infections, stress ulcers in the mouth etc.
In the Integrated approach of yoga therapy that addresses the entire personality one has to encourage the person to go into the root cause of the stress that has caused either the simpler muscle spasm pain and trismus or the oral cancer requiring radiation therapy or arthritis affecting the TM joint. In all the condition that emotional stress has an important causative role and hence during yogic counseling(self analysis of one’s life issues, worries, anxieties) one starts removing this root cause. This component called Jnana yoga can only be of useful when practiced with deep relaxation techniques for the entire body mind complex through different yoga techniques.
Kriyas
a. Kapalabhati repeated 60 times, 5 rounds of one minute of fast breathing alternating with one minutes of complete quititude (Induced Kevala Kumbhaka)
b. Vamanadhouti
c. Sutraneti
d. Vyutkarma and Seetkarma Kapala neti are very useful techniques.
Suksma vyayamas for the neck and facial muscles including jaw movements in all directions repeated with breathing and mental or loud chanting of “AAA” are important practices in yoga to prevent as well as treat trismus. Apart from these Sukshma Vyayamas, the recommended yoga postures would include 30 minutes of different cultural postures for balancing the prana activity in all part of the body. These may include,
Standing: Parivritta trikonasana, Vrikshasana, Arcdhakati cakrasana, prasarita padahastasana
Inverted: Sirsasana or Adha Sirsasana, Sarvangasana, Halasana, Matsyasana.
Sitting Postures: Sasankasana, Vakrasana, Vrikshasana.
Prone: Bhujangasana, Dhanurasana, DRT, Shavasana.
Amongest Pranayamas which should be practiced for at least 20 minutes, Sadanta, Seetali, Seetkari and Ujjai are very important and useful practices.
Meditation by using mind sound resonance technique with loud chanting of A, U, M and OM is also a very important aspect of the integrated yoga therapy for Trismus. Emotional stability, self confidence and an inner freedom to accept the events of life without violent reactions can only be achieved through acceptance and faith in the divine and tuning to the mood of Bhakti Bhava. This alloys all fears and helps one to be established in inner joy and bliss. This is the basis of cure in yoga therapy.
Sitkarma Kapala Neti
1. Take a mouthful of Luke-warm saline water.
2. Bend forward and relax the soft palate so that the water comes out of the nose.
3. Neti Kriya is to be followed by a few rounds of Kapalabhati, so as to keep the nasal passage clear.
Vyutkarma Kapala Neti
This is similar to Jala Net, with the difference that the water comes out of mouth instead of through the opposite nostril.
Neti, in general, purifies most structures in the head and neck. Neti not only clears the nasal passages but also renders the nose resistant to many irritants like water, cotton, rubber, ghee, milk etc.
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