This video walks you through recommended exercises after a neck dissection or radiotherapy to the head and neck.
The exercises can be started within a few days after your surgery as recommended by your clinical support team. You may still have your stitches and feeding tubes but the sooner you work at exercising after your neck dissection the sooner life will return to near normal. You will see me still in hospital and a year after the surgery. Immediately after surgery, you might find the exercises tough and you may not have a lot of movement but persevere, they really do work. Necks exercises require a good posture, which I will explain. If possible, do the neck exercises in front of a mirror to ensure your shoulders are straight. Depending on your level of fitness, it is important to start slowly with neck exercises and build up gradually but it is also important to do the neck exercises three to five times a day. When the exercises get easier, push yourself a little further to stretch your neck muscles and increase your movement. Remember if you experience any severe pain or nausea, you must stop and check with your clinical team. If you have had a partial glossectomy, to avoid biting your flap, keep your teeth closed as you do the neck exercises.
Note the exercises can be done sitting or standing. After the exercises make sure you massage your neck with bio oil to keep the tissues soft and flexible. The scar is almost invisible and I have no more stiffness.
Stay positive!