Relief of Post-COVD-19 Burning Mouth Syndrome with Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment: A Case Study

Student Presenter(s): Elisabeth Frankini
Faculty Mentor: Adena Leder, Sheldon C. Yao
Department: Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine
School/College: College of Osteopathic Medicine, Long Island

Burning Mouth Syndrome (BMS) is a rare condition consisting of a burning sensation of the oral mucosa of unknown etiology without physical examination findings. Patients may have other symptoms including difficulty speaking, headache (HA), temporomandibular disorder (TMD), and muscular weakness of the jaw. Treatment methods include benzodiazepines and antidepressants. Although there is no documentation of Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment (OMT) being utilized to treat BMS, OMT has been shown to be effective in treating TMD and HA. A 71-year-old male presented with a burning sensation on the left side of his tongue for the past two weeks. Previously, the patient experienced the sensation for over one year after being diagnosed with COVID-19 in March 2020. The patient reported 2/10 pain at the time of visit, and 8/10 pain at its worst. He used Mylanta 4 times/day to alleviate pain. Physical examination and vital signs were within normal limits. Osteopathic structural examination revealed somatic dysfunctions of the cranium, jaw, spine, ribcage, and pelvis. OMT including cranial osteopathic manipulative medicine, myofascial technique, ganglion release, muscle energy, and counter strain were utilized. At 1 week follow-up, the patient self-reported no burning for 4 days following treatment. He reported an 80% overall decrease in discomfort and ceased use of Mylanta for 4 days. He recently resumed Mylanta and has been using it 1-2 times/day and rates the pain 2/10 at its worst.