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Medicina
Special Issues
Physiotherapy for Head and Neck Cancer
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Physiotherapy for Head and Neck Cancer

A special issue of Medicina (ISSN 1648-9144). This special issue belongs to the section "Oncology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 April 2026 | Viewed by 637

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Ernesto Anarte-Lazo

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Health, University UNIE, Calle Arapiles, 14, 28015 Madrid, Spain
Interests: physiotherapy; head and neck cancer; neuromusculoskeletal impairments
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Patients with head and neck cancer frequently experience a wide range of neuromusculoskeletal impairments due to tumor burden and oncological treatments such as surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy. These can include trismus, shoulder dysfunction, cervical pain, fibrosis, neuropathic symptoms, postural imbalance, and reduced muscle strength and mobility. Comprehensive assessment and early identification of these issues are crucial for guiding physiotherapy interventions and optimizing outcomes.

This Special Issue welcomes original research, systematic reviews, and clinical perspectives focused on the physiotherapeutic management of people affected by head and neck cancer. We are particularly interested in contributions addressing assessment tools and outcome measures, diagnostic criteria for musculoskeletal or sensorimotor dysfunctions and innovative interventions including exercise, manual therapy, pain modulation, and rehabilitation technologies. Studies exploring the biopsychosocial mechanisms underlying functional limitations, as well as multidisciplinary approaches, are also highly encouraged.

By bringing together diverse research and clinical expertise, this Special Issue aims to enhance the understanding and role of physiotherapy in the continuum of care for individuals with head and neck cancer—from early assessment to targeted rehabilitation strategies.

Dr. Ernesto Anarte-Lazo
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Medicina is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • physiotherapy
  • head and neck cancer
  • neuromusculoskeletal impairments

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

11 pages, 445 KB  
Article
Effectiveness of Oncological Physiotherapy on Shoulder Dysfunction After Cervical Lymph Node Dissection in Head and Neck Cancer: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial
by Raquel Pérez-García, Vanesa Abuín-Porras, Daniel Pecos-Martín and Carlos Romero-Morales
Medicina 2025, 61(9), 1636; https://doi.org/10.3390/medicina61091636 - 10 Sep 2025
Viewed by 427
Abstract
Background and Objectives: Shoulder dysfunction is a frequent complication after cervical lymph node dissection in patients with head and neck cancer (HNC), leading to pain, reduced mobility, and impaired quality of life. Physiotherapy programs that include strength exercises have shown benefits in [...] Read more.
Background and Objectives: Shoulder dysfunction is a frequent complication after cervical lymph node dissection in patients with head and neck cancer (HNC), leading to pain, reduced mobility, and impaired quality of life. Physiotherapy programs that include strength exercises have shown benefits in managing these sequelae, but the potential added value of neurodynamic mobilization techniques (NDMTs) remains unclear. This pilot randomized controlled trial was designed to examine whether a NDMTs program improves pain and shoulder-related function in HNC survivors with shoulder dysfunction, assessing trajectories during treatment and at short-term follow-up. Materials and Methods: A pilot, assessor-blinded, randomized, parallel-group clinical trial was conducted with 20 participants who had undergone HNC surgery and exhibited shoulder dysfunction. Participants were randomized to either a control group (strength exercises alone) or an experimental group (strength exercises plus NDMTs). Outcomes were assessed at baseline, mid-term (1 week), post-treatment, and 3 months post-treatment. The primary outcome was quality of life measured by the QLQ-H&N35 questionnaire. Secondary outcomes included pain intensity (VAS), disability (DASH), and handgrip strength. Results: Significant improvements were observed in the experimental group for all primary and secondary outcomes. The experimental group demonstrated improved quality of life (p = 0.009), lower pain intensity (p < 0.001), reduced disability (p < 0.001), and increased handgrip strength. Interaction effects for time and group were significant across multiple measures, favoring the NDMTs group. Conclusions: NDMTs are a promising addition to strength programs for improving shoulder dysfunction outcomes in HNC patients, with implications for both clinical practice and future research. Registered in ClinicalTrials: NCT05604235 prior to recruitment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physiotherapy for Head and Neck Cancer)
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