A Study to Assess the Efficacy of Early Physical Therapy Intervention Following a Modified Unilateral Neck Dissection for Treatment of Head and Neck Cancer

Mayo Clinic

Status: Completed

Conditions: Shoulder Weakness Following Neck Dissection Surgery

Treatments: Other: Physical therapy intervention

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT01729065

09-007403

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study will determine whether patients who receive regular physical therapy immediately following a modified neck dissection surgery will report decreased shoulder disability, decreased pain, improved or maintained shoulder range of motion and strength, and improved quality of life than those who receive only home instruction.

Enrollment: 50 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 85 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Adults age 18-85, able to give informed consent
• Subject has provided written informed consent
• Received Modified Unilateral Neck Dissection with sparing of the SAN
• Not currently using transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) as a pain relieving modality
• Not currently receiving acupuncture as a pain relieving modality
• Able to participate with treatment group protocol including physical therapy appointment every other week

Exclusion criteria

• History of prior shoulder injury or surgery including rotator cuff repair or total shoulder arthroplasty.
• History of CVA with hemi paresis
• Bilateral neck dissection
• Known severed SAN

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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50 participants in 2 patient groups

Home Program

No Intervention group

Description:

Participants perform home program only.

Physical Therapy Intervention

Experimental group

Description:

Physical therapy intervention provided for first 12 weeks following surgery.

Treatment:

Other: Physical therapy intervention