"Boswellia serrata Enhances Passive Range-of-Motion Exercises in Radiat" by Derek A. Mumaw, Tracy M. Nassif et al.
 

Boswellia serrata Enhances Passive Range-of-Motion Exercises in Radiation-Induced Trismus: A Case Report.

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

4-14-2024

Publication Title

Cureus

Abstract

Trismus is a common, extremely detrimental side effect following definitive radiotherapy for head and neck malignancies. Existing therapeutic modalities (active and passive range-of-motion exercises and systemic therapies) offer only modest, slow improvements in jaw opening; thus, there is a need for additional treatment options. Boswellia serrata (BS) ("Indian frankincense") is a tree native to West Asia and North Africa that produces resin-containing "boswellic" acids. These have been shown to have in vitro and in vivo anti-inflammatory effects and have previously been found to be an effective treatment for asthma, colitis, arthritis, and post-radiation edema. Herein we report the case of a 54-year-old male with severe post-radiation trismus who experienced a dramatic resolution with BS/Therabite® combination therapy. His trismus improved from 6 mm to 45 mm over 10 weeks (0.46 mm/day), far exceeding previous rates of improvement documented in the literature. There were no ill effects. Given the dearth of effective treatments for post-radiation trismus, BS is a promising agent deserving of further study.

Volume

16

Issue

4

First Page

e58234

DOI

10.7759/cureus.58234

ISSN

2168-8184

PubMed ID

38745799

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