Upper body motor function and swallowing impairments and its association in survivors of head and neck cancer: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background Upper body motor function and swallowing may be affected after curative treatment for head and neck cancer. The aims of this study are to compare maximum mouth opening (MMO), temporomandibular dysfunction (TMD), cervical and shoulder active range of motion (AROM) and strength, and swallowing difficulty between survivors of head and neck cancer (sHNC) and healthy matched controls (HMC) and to examine the correlations between these outcomes in sHNC. Methods Thirty-two sHNC and 32 HMC participated on the study. MMO, TMD, cervical and shoulder AROM, cervical and shoulder strength, the SPADI shoulder pain and disability indices, the Eating Assessment Tool (EAT-10) score, swallowing difficulty as determined using a visual analogue scale (VAS), and the location of disturbances in swallowing, were recorded. Results MMO and cervical and shoulder AROM and strength were significantly lower in sHNC, whereas FAI, SPADI score, EAT-10 and VAS were higher. The MMO, TMD, cervical and shoulder AROM, and cervical shoulder strength values showed significant correlations (some direct, others inverse) with one another. Swallowing difficulty was inversely associated with the MMO, cervical AROM and shoulder strength.

Radiation-Induced Soft Tissue Injuries in Patients With Advanced Mandibular Osteoradionecrosis: A Preliminary Evaluation and Management of Various Soft Tissue Problems Around Radiation-Induced Osteonecrosis Lesions

“…Trismus severity, as a core element of STIs, should be measured with clinical examinations in ORN patients, which is consistent with other radiation-induced toxicity reports ( 3 , 13 ). Other symptoms, such as stiffness of local muscles, should be preliminarily assessed by facial or cervical tightness during mastication or head rotation for a preoperative impression of the extent of ORN-oriented fibrosis ( 42 ). In addition, precautions of vessel insufficiency or large skin defects, as revealed in our analysis, could be guarded in those with such symptoms.…”

Efficacy of aerobic and resistance exercises on cancer pain: A meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials

“…For primary outcomes, we included self-reported pain-rating measures validated in cancer settings including the visual analogue scale (VAS) [ 29 ], numerical pain rating scale (NPRS) [ 29 ], Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) [ 30 ], 36-Item Health Survey Instrument (SF-36), European Research and Treatment for Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC-QLQ-C30) [ 31 ] and the Western Ontario and McMasters Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) pain scale [ 32 ]. We also included outcome measures reporting pain intensity in specific locations such as the Shoulder Pain and Disability Index (SPADI) [ 33 ] as well as outcome measures reporting pain with sensory testing such as Pressure Pain Thresholds (PPT), also validated in cancer settings [ 34 ]. To adjust for the effects of delayed onset muscle soreness after initial exercise sessions, we analysed baseline pain scores prior to initial exercise sessions and pain scores after the final exercise session of the program [ 35 ].…”