Day 51: Pterygoids

I bought myself some Chester's Cheese Puffcorn as a treat. I found this stuff because they make a butter flavor that tastes almost (but not quite) like popcorn without the kernels, so I've been eating bags of it to subdue my popcorn cravings while I have braces on, but I have not eaten any since surgery.  So I opened the bag gleefully anticipating a soft/dissolving food I can "munch on" only to discover that I cannot yet open my mouth wide enough to eat the puffcorn...boo. (Never fear I just broke up the puffs with my hands first before shoving it into my face ;)

Because of yet another reminder that I can't eat properly, I then spent a little extra time working on my jaw before locking it back down with the rubber bands.  In particular I spent some time working on my lateral pterygoid muscles.  I know this is a muscle most people without TMJ difficulties or Jaw surgery may never have heard of so help out here is an antomical picture:

The muscles lie under the masseters, which is the more well known muscle for jaw opening, but the pterygoids are workhorses!  After surgery all the muscles of the jaw end up getting shortened and tightening up and these are particularly hard to reach! So for those of you inclined to try it out, here is how you reach the lateral pterygoid to massage it/ "release it" like you would at a masseuse for a tight back muscle. You know you are on the right spot if it feels sore and you start drooling ;)

Full jaw opening is considered 40-50mm as you measure from the edge of the bottom teeth to the edge of the top teeth.  My vertical opening today after stretching and massaging was 22mm!  It is slow progress, but it is still progress!

Its a funny angle, but I think its where I look the most different
 with my jaw line!