Hi,

My dad recently got operated for salvage surgery for oropharyngeal cancer staged at T3N2bMo. He underwent 7 weeks of radiotherapy and 6 chemotherapy sessions in Feb 2012.

Post surgery, he has got a lot of swelling and his neck has got stiff. Has anybody else experienced the same problem..Can somebody please share thoughts and guide what can be done to reduce his pain?

Caregiver for my dad,
Age 52 at Dx, SCC � T3N2bM0 right side of neck, Smoker & Drinker, Tx � 35 XRT with concurrent weekly Chemo, Feb�12. PET clear, Salvage Surgery performed on 25th June�12, clear margins in biopsy

Although I did not have the same surgery as your father, I underwent similar treatment. I went to physical therapy after I completed radiation to help with the movement, which I believe a lot of people on this site have done. My neck still gets sore/tight sometimes, but I am constantly stretching and rolling my neck which also helps. It seems the movement came back with time... right after surgery, my neck was very stiff and weak, but by the time I started therapy most of the movement had come back. The occupational therapist/physical therapist should be able to give him some exercises to do as well. Good luck!

Welcome to OCF!

Emily is correct, a physical therapist will greatly help your father in regaining his range of motion. Swelling can take months to subside. For major surgeries it can be a full year until his body adapts. Recovery seems to take forever but a good rule of thumb is one month for every week of radiation. It will be 2 steps forward and one back for the next few months and then you will begin to notice he has alot more good days than bad.

Great signature! Many new members struggle with setting that up.

I'll message this to Kerri as she is the expert, she's got her masters in physical therapy and practices. What I love about OCF, we can get you the right advice from an expert.

Hello, Nupur.

All of these replies are right on the money. I'll just add a couple of things...

1. There are PTs that specialize in oncology rehab. Even Head & Neck cancer, specifically. Your best bet is to find a PT that specializes in H&N oncology rehab, breast cancer, and lymphoedema management.

2. A patient that has been both surgically altered and blasted with radiation will never be exactly the same anatomically speaking. There will likely always be some level of pain and or dysfunction, but the goal would be to minimize pain and maximize function. The soft tissue (skin, muscles, fascia) changes first, then the joints become restricted, secondarily. This being said, it is wise to get moving on the earlier side as long as your surgeon, MO, & RO say it's safe to do so. Sometimes they want you to wait a bit for healing purposes. On the other hand, getting to a PT early, when the edema is at it's worst, can be very beneficial. I had PT, myself, after my surgeon gave me the okay. It helped, but looking back, I wish I had gone to a specialist...and that's coming from one of our own! Don't fret if you can't find one near you, but do explain your father's situation before making the appointment in order to see if they have a PT on staff that would be best suited for his needs. Don't be afraid to shop around.

I am going to be taking a course on Advanced Oncology Rehabilitation in September. Right now, I specialize in orthopedics, which entails neck and shoulder, but I don't often get onco patients. I am looking forward to broadening my scope to include this population so that I can help out others like us. I will surely share my knowledge as I am able.

Best of luck with your father. Please don't hesitate to contact me for any other questions or concerns.

Take care,
Kerri