Journal
HEAD AND NECK-JOURNAL FOR THE SCIENCES AND SPECIALTIES OF THE HEAD AND NECK
Volume 37, Issue 7, Pages 1022-1031Publisher
WILEY
DOI: 10.1002/hed.23712
Keywords
accessory nerve; shoulder dysfunction; neck dissection; physical therapy
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Funding
- Calvary Mater Newcastle Hospital James Lawrie Grant
- Hunter Medical Research Institute Barker Scholarship
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BackgroundShoulder pain and dysfunction after neck dissection may result from injury to the accessory nerve. The effect of early physical therapy in the form of intensive scapular strengthening exercises is unknown. MethodsA total of 59 neck dissection participants were prospectively recruited for this study. Participants were randomly assigned to either the intervention group (n = 32), consisting of progressive scapular strengthening exercises for 12 weeks, or the control group (n = 29). Blinded assessment occurred at baseline, and at 3, 6, and 12 months. ResultsThree-month data were collected on 52 participants/53 shoulders. Per-protocol analysis demonstrated that the intervention group had statistically significantly higher active shoulder abduction at 3 months compared to the control group (+26.6 degrees; 95% confidence interval [CI] 7.28-45.95; p = .007). ConclusionThe intervention is a favorable treatment for maximizing shoulder abduction in the short term. The effect of the intervention compared to usual care is uncertain in the longer term. (c) 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 37: 1022-1031, 2015
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