After a neck dissection and arm graft movement is restricted as the surgery has traumatised the muscles.
I will show you how to exercise your arms and rotator cuff to become more flexible, reduce or even eliminate any discomfort and make the muscles stronger.
It is important to check with your doctor or physiotherapist before doing any exercise after surgery. Also important is to do the exercises regularly and start slowly. The arm on the side of the neck dissection or graft will feel weak initially but regular exercises and that means daily or every other day, you will find exercise really helps your recovery after head and neck cancer surgery, in particular a neck dissection. If your arm will only move a little at first, keep at it, as gradually you will see an improvement. You also might hit a plateau but persevere it will be worth it.
All you need for the arm and rotator cuff exercises are: – a towel – a Pilates mat or sun lounger cushion – some weights starting with half a kilo or a can of soup – a chair.
Stay positive!