Effectiveness of Osteopathic Therapy in the Treatment of Oral Submucous Fibrosis

Oral submucous fibrosis (OSMF) is a chronic progressive debilitating disease of oral cavity leading to the stiffness of oral mucosa, burning and trismus resulting in marked rigidity, and an inability to open the mouth. As the medical treatment of OSMF is yet not standardized, the purpose of the present case study was to explore the effectiveness of osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) in patients with OSMF. A 30-year-old male presented with a complaint of reduced mouth opening with burning sensation while eating spicy food for 4 years. The patient had undergone pharmacological treatment for the same in the past, got relief in the burning sensation, but did not get any significant improvement in mouth opening. Radiological features were noncontributory. The patient was treated with OMT techniques for twice a week for 4 weeks followed by the home exercise program. The patient showed a significant increase in mouth opening from approximately 10 mm to 22 mm of mouth opening at the end of the treatment sessions.