07/03/2025
Big breakthrough today with a head and neck cancer patient post-radiation who had limited shoulder movement before our therapy and can now move much more freely despite severe fibrosis! 🎉
And it got me thinking… many people may not know… 🤔
Improving shoulder range of motion — especially being able to shrug your shoulders 🤷♂️ — can actually help some head and neck cancer patients with swallowing after radiation! 🥤
Why? Because:
✅ Neck and shoulder synergy: Muscles like the trapezius and sternocleidomastoid connect to neck stability. Better shoulder mobility and strength can improve posture, which is key for safe swallowing.
✅ Accessory nerve function: The spinal accessory nerve (cranial nerve XI) controls the trapezius. After surgery or radiation, damage or fibrosis here can cause “shoulder drop” or restricted shrug — which often correlates with impaired laryngeal elevation affecting swallowing.
✅ Radiation fibrosis: Radiation can cause scarring in neck and shoulder muscles, leading to stiffness that limits hyolaryngeal elevation and pharyngeal constriction. Gentle range of motion and stretching exercises can help loosen things up.
✅ Postural control: Good shoulder and neck mobility supports upright posture, essential for safe swallowing. Slumped shoulders or awkward neck postures can raise aspiration risk.
⚠️ Important note: Shoulder exercises alone won’t directly fix swallowing problems, but they’re often a valuable part of a comprehensive dysphagia rehab plan with direct swallowing exercises, posture adjustments, and strategies from a skilled SLP with advanced experience in treating post head and neck radiation patients
