Medial pterygoid trismus (myospasm) following inferior alveolar nerve block: Case report and literature review

Patients can postoperatively develop a restricted opening from a single inferior alveolar nerve block-If treatment was limited to nonsurgical therapy and the patient shows no signs of swelling, lymph adenopathy, or fever, the restricted opening is most likely due to a medial pterygoid myospasm secondary to the inferior alveolar nerve block. The severity of the disorder generally dictates the extent of therapy needed; however, applying heat, stretching the muscle, prescribing analgesics and/or muscle relaxants, and referring the patient to a physical therapist have proven beneficial. If the patient does not respond to therapy after two or three days, the differential diagnosis should be expanded to include infection, hematoma, or other neurological etiologies.