Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 23, 2026
05:52
Clinical Efficacy of Small Needle Knife Therapy on Stage I-II Frozen Shoulder
Published on: November 17, 2023
Exercise interventions for shoulder dysfunction in patients treated for head and neck cancer
Alan P V Carvalho1, Flávia Mr Vital, Bernardo G O Soares
1Urgency Medicine, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews
|April 20, 2012
Summary
Progressive resistance training (PRT) effectively reduces shoulder pain and disability in head and neck cancer patients. While PRT improves range of motion, it does not significantly impact quality of life, with minimal adverse events reported.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Rehabilitation Medicine
- Physical Therapy
Background:
- Shoulder dysfunction is a frequent complication following head and neck cancer treatment, including neck dissections and radiotherapy.
- Neck dissections and radiotherapy can lead to significant morbidity of the shoulder joint.
- Exercise interventions are being explored as a potential treatment for shoulder dysfunction in this patient population.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the effectiveness and safety of exercise interventions for treating shoulder dysfunction in head and neck cancer patients.
- To evaluate the impact of exercise on pain, disability, range of motion, and quality of life.
- To synthesize evidence from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on exercise therapy for post-treatment shoulder dysfunction.
Main Methods:
- A systematic search was conducted across multiple databases (PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL, etc.) up to July 2011.
- Included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing any exercise therapy against other interventions for head and neck cancer patients with shoulder dysfunction.
- Two independent reviewers selected trials, assessed bias, and extracted data.
Main Results:
- Three RCTs involving 104 patients were analyzed. One study had a low risk of bias, while others had limitations.
- Progressive resistance training (PRT) combined with range of motion exercises and stretching improved shoulder pain (MD -6.26) and disability (MD -8.48) compared to standard care.
- PRT also enhanced active and passive range of motion in multiple shoulder movements and improved scapular muscle strength, with no significant effect on quality of life and few non-serious adverse events.
Conclusions:
- Limited evidence suggests PRT is more effective than standard physiotherapy for improving shoulder pain, disability, and range of motion in head and neck cancer patients.
- PRT did not demonstrate a significant improvement in quality of life.
- Further research is needed on other exercise interventions during the early postoperative and radiotherapy periods, with long-term follow-up.
