As if the pain of lockjaw wasn't enough to bear for Adelaide Crows player Luke Nankervis, his teammate Josh Rachele has shared the midfielder's uncomfortable experience on TikTok for fans to poke fun at.
Nankervis, 22, has been included in his side's travelling squad to play against Richmond this Saturday at the MCG. But on Wednesday, footage of the distressed crow sitting in a hospital waiting room with the bizarre injury was posted to TikTok, inviting fans to speculate as to how it occurred.
"POV: your friend gets locked jaw at 12am," Rachele captioned the post. In the 17-second clip, Nankervis appears to be in some degree of discomfort but is still able to see the humour in his condition as sad piano music plays over the footage.
"The pasta was a little too al dente," one person suggested. "How does this happen — vigorous teeth brushing?" another asked. "Long yawn," one more said. With another teasing: "Better hope there's no flies around."
Acknowledging the embarrassing post, Nankervis commented, "Bloody heck". Some fans empathised with the midfielder, sharing their personal experiences with the condition in solidarity. "OMG this recently happened to me... & I had to be put under with a resuss team on standby, all from a fricken yawn... I wish it was a more exciting story! It's awful & I felt so stupid. Hope your pain isn't too bad!" one person said.
Nankervis has played three games this season, and 34 in his career after debuting in 2023. Neither he nor Rachele have since confirmed how the lockjaw occurred. Also known as trismus, lockjaw is a condition that makes the muscles and nerves in the jaw spasm, leading to difficulty opening or moving the mouth. The three leading causes behind it are tetanus, inflammation of the soft tissue, and TMJ disorder, though other injuries or infections can also induce the condition.
