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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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Lasting Problem Of Tightness/dysfunction Of Muscles Lateral To Base Of Tongue

lasting problem of tightness/dysfunction of muscles lateral to base of tongue

I am 38 year old male with history of many strep infections. Several years ago I underwent tonsillectomy that left me with lasting problem of tightness/dysfunction of muscles lateral to base of tongue causing numerous problems including great difficulty clearing mucus post-nasally. Are there any treatments/procedures available to treat this condition? Any info would be greatly appreciated as this situation is causing significant distress and is worsening.

posted on Wed, 17 Nov 2010
Twitter Wed, 17 Nov 2010 Answered on
Twitter Wed, 28 Sep 2011 Last reviewed on
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  User's Response
's  Response
1. Excessive dissection, cautery and damage to the muscles surrounding the tonsil during your tonsillectomy is the reason for your discomfort.
2. These structures are also known as the tonsillar bed and tonsillar arches or pillars and are formed by the following muscles: glossopharyngeus, palatopharyngeus, stylopharyngeus and the superior constrictor muscle.
3. The actions of the above muscles is to help in moving the palate, tongue, larynx and pharynx, hence your discomfort.
4. It is highly unlikely that their nerve supply is damaged.
5. Such damage is usually irreversible, however, if you are highly distressed, have a detailed examination to see if any excessive fibrosis can be released by:
(i) conventional surgery (risk of more fibrosis!),
(ii) depot steroid / hyaluronidase/ interferon/ placentrex injections, and oral medication like lycopene, anti-oxidants, chymotrypsin and pentoxyfilline (all these may not be of much use in long standing fibrosis),
(iii) radio-frequency, co-ablation or laser.
Orthopaedic Surgeon,  Dr. Aashish Raghu's  Response
Welcome to Healthcare Magic
You could be having stenosis or scarring in the region where tonsils were removed probably due to over zealous removal of the tonsils. You can eat soft, semisolid, non-spicy warm food. Keep well hydrated. You should consult your ENT Doctor and get it looked at. If there is progressive scarring you may require therapy to loosen up that region and get a wider pharynx to be able to swallow.
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  User's Response
Jason w's  Response
hello Dr. thank u for reply have had computer problem so just got it.? are u saying supplements are likely to be ineffective or does theat include steroid and other local injections? My post-nasal clearance issue is untenable and feels as if there is material that is becoming calcified. If there is nothing that can be done to heal throat muscles is there a possibility of vaporizing some turbinate tissue in back to help w/ this clearance issue? also sup con muscle feels totally contracted and dysfunctional, is there a way to release this muscle w/out causing more damage. Understang this is rare problem but is very real and have found my limited interaction w/ ent community to be that of me being 'damaged goods' that they don't want to get involved w/. This makes it very difficult to get serious evaluation and resolution of problem. Thanks for previous reply and any additional info wpould be appreciated.
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Lasting Problem Of Tightness/dysfunction Of Muscles Lateral To Base Of Tongue

1. Excessive dissection, cautery and damage to the muscles surrounding the tonsil during your tonsillectomy is the reason for your discomfort. 2. These structures are also known as the tonsillar bed and tonsillar arches or pillars and are formed by the following muscles: glossopharyngeus, palatopharyngeus, stylopharyngeus and the superior constrictor muscle. 3. The actions of the above muscles is to help in moving the palate, tongue, larynx and pharynx, hence your discomfort. 4. It is highly unlikely that their nerve supply is damaged. 5. Such damage is usually irreversible, however, if you are highly distressed, have a detailed examination to see if any excessive fibrosis can be released by: (i) conventional surgery (risk of more fibrosis!), (ii) depot steroid / hyaluronidase/ interferon/ placentrex injections, and oral medication like lycopene, anti-oxidants, chymotrypsin and pentoxyfilline (all these may not be of much use in long standing fibrosis), (iii) radio-frequency, co-ablation or laser.