New Jersey Woman Seeks Medical Help After Lockjaw Leaves Her Mouth Frozen Open While Yawning
By Inside Edition StaffFirst Published: 9:31 AM PDT, May 10, 2024
A New Jersey woman found herself dealing with an extreme case of lockjaw after her mouth became stuck open while yawning.
“I was on the way home from the gym with my brother. He thought I was pranking him but I wasn't,” Jenna Sinatra tells Inside Edition. “It just would not shut,” Sinatra says.
Sinatra was driven to a local emergency room in Manahawkin, New Jersey.
“They gave me muscle relaxers and it helped relax my jaw,” she says.
It took four medical personnel to put her jaw back in place. Sinatra’s head was wrapped so her jaw would stay shut.
Dr. Nancy Rosen, a New York City dentist, tells Inside Edition she has seen cases of lockjaw like Sinatra experienced before.
“What happens is your muscles can go into spasm and your lower jaw can slide out of place and that can cause lockjaw,” Rosen says.
Rosen says if you get lockjaw, message around the jaw to help relax the muscles.
“One of the important things is if this happens to you, do not get scared because the fear and anxiety could actually make it worse,” Rosen says.
Sinatra says going forward, she is going to be more cautious.
“I'm scared to yawn,” Sinatra says.
