Effect of Botulinum Toxin Injection and Physical Therapy to Reduce Tongue Pain and Discomfort: Case Reports

Abstract

The causes of tongue pain and discomfort include systemic disease, malnutrition, mental illness, fungal infection, and neuropathy. Three postmenopausal women reported burning sensations and stiffness of the tongue for various periods, from one month to four years. There were no objective etiological factors to cause the tongue pain and discomfort. Muscular tenderness upon palpation of masticatory muscles, sternocleidomastoid, trapezius, and tongue were observed. Physical therapy approaches such as moist hot pack, ultrasound, and myomonitor were performed on three patients with tongue pain, just as for temporomandibular joint disease. Additional botulinum toxin injection therapy was applied to one patient who displayed a clenching habit. All three patients showed a marked improvement in their tongue symptoms after the muscle relaxation and botulinum toxin injection therapy.