Swallowing exercises?

Hi Cat...

I do a forceful swallow and the one where you put your tongue tip between your teeth and swallow.

I also do trismus exercises. Open my mouth as wide as I can...hold for five, rest for five then repeat x five. Plus side to side bottom jaw movement and pushing my bottom jaw in front of my upper jaw...again X five

Swallowing and jaw fibrosis can be a really long term effect...years later so at four plus yers I still do them and will forever.

All once a day

Hi Cat I also do same exercises as Dani at 5 years and will do forever. I fir them in as I’m going about my day. I do them without thinking . Touch wood my mouth opening is as good as it was pre cancer whuch I credit to the swallow  and jaw exercises. 
Hazel x

Hi Cat

I know what you mean about keeping motivated with mouth exercises. I have quite bad trismus from my ops and am supposed to do jaw opening exercises daily for the rest of my life. It has got to the stage where I sometimes forget to do them although I know they are essential. Life goes on and I get so busy some days that I completely forget. Thanks for the wake up call as I really can't afford for the trismus to get any worse.

Lyn

Hi Dani

I agree to do the  jaw stretching exercises recommended by the specialist and continue to do so forever.  They may give you some devices to help. If you notice any change down the line like you cannot open as wide or your jaw starts to get stiffer or painful, go back and talk to the specialist as they can look into it for you.

Best wishes Nicky

Hi. I’m 17 months post treatment & still do my trismus exercises

I has given these exercises

Jaw Exercises

1. Open your mouth wide, hold for 2 seconds, then release and repeat 5 times

1. Open your mouth then move your jaw to one side and hold for 2 seconds, then release and repeat the other side. Complete 5 on each side

1. Encourage jaw rotation (imaginary chewing) in small movements initially, with the mouth closed. Then gently encourage a more open mouthed posture. Rotate in both directions.

Tongue exercises

Tongue - range of movement 

1. Extend your tongue straight out of your mouth as far as possible and keep it there for 3 seconds

1. Pull your tongue back into your mouth as far as possible and hold for seconds (as if yawning)

1. Point your tongue to one side of the mouth (inside the mouth) as far possible - hold at as a maximum stretch 3 seconds. 

1. Then point your tongue to the other side of your mouth as far as possible - hold for 3 seconds

1. With your mouth as wide open as possible, lift the tip of your tongue up as far as possible as 

1. With your mouth as wide open as possible, lift the back of your tongue as high as possible (as if saying 'K").

Tongue strength

Press the tongue up firmly into the hard palate - keep pressing for 3

seconds release then repeat 5 times

Effortful Swallow - Collect all the saliva in your mouth, keep your lips closed and tight together then pretend you are swallowing a golf ball whole in one big, hard swallow.

Masako 

Stick your tongue out of your mouth between your front teeth and gently bite down to hold it in place. Swallow while keeping your tongue gently between your teeth. You can let go of your tongue between swallows.

Mendelsohn 

swallow and keep adams apple high. -  Place your middle three fingers (index, middle, ring) on your Adam's Apple (the skin in front of your neck beneath your chin). Swallow once to practise. Feel your Adams Apple slide upward as you swallow. Now, swallow again and when your Adam's Apple gets to its highest position in the throat, squeeze your throat muscles and hold it as high as you can, for as long as your as clinician has directed for this exercise (or as long as you can if you can't hold it for this length of time).

Voice box 'larynx' exercises: 

1. A) Glide on an 'eeey' sound (as in "Key") from a low pitch to a high

pitch, holding this high pitch for 3-5 seconds or shorter if you cannot manage longer.

1. B) Glide from a high pitch 'eeey' to a low pitch holding for 3-5 seconds.

Shaker 

Lie down on a flat surface. Do not use a pillow. 

Keep your shoulders flat and lift your chin towards your chest so you can see your toes and immediately lower your head. 

Repeat these steps as many times as prescribed.

Lots there to do! 
I did some of those and still do. 
So windy else mentioned Shaker so I looked them up. Says to hold your head up for 60 seconds. Ha! Impossible.