An interventional study of Manual Therapy and Motor control exercises in Head and Neck Cancer, Trismus and Dysfunction, sponsored by Universidad de La Frontera. Recruiting at 2 sites in Chile. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2025-05-30.
Sponsored by Universidad de La Frontera · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment
Trismus has been reported as the second most common comorbidity in survivors of head and neck cancer (HNC). It is mainly associated with post-radiotherapy subcutaneous fibrosis, muscular atrophy, damage to neurological structures in the neck, or a combination of all, affecting masticatory musculature. In addition to this, the loss of flexibility and strength in the shoulder has also been shown to be related to deficits in the function and quality of life of these patients.
The goal of this clinical trial is to determinate the effectiveness and safety of Manual Therapy (MT) on Oral Opening, Swallow Function, as well as the mobility of the upper quarter, the strength of cervical musculature, pain, functionality, and the perception of quality of life in head and neck cancer survivors.
Participants will be assigned randomly to the study groups: a) manual therapy program and control motor exercises and b) motor control exercises (usual care).
The assessment refers to a baseline form (at the beginning of the study), at 6 weeks and at 6 weeks of patient follow-up.
Manual therapy program consists of 3 sessions a week during 6 weeks, with a total of 18 appointments. Measurements are done before starting, after the last intervention and 6 weeks after finishing the treatment.
2,710 studies on the registry are indexed under Head and Neck Neoplasms; 594 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 70 is above the median of 46 across 2,032 interventional studies indexed under Head and Neck Neoplasms.
Browse Head and Neck Neoplasms studies →Universidad de La Frontera is the lead sponsor of 33 studies on the registry; 15 are open to participants now.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.
Exclusion Criteria:
Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Cancer that has spread from where it began to other parts of the body. “Metastatic” cancer is cancer that has spread this way.
Metastases
Cancer that has spread from where it began to other parts of the body. “Metastatic” cancer is cancer that has spread this way.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Manual Therapy-based intervention: the session will be performed with the patient in a supine position. If they cannot reach this position, it can be done with the patient sitting in a chair to receive the treatment. The selected maneuvers will focus on cervical, masticatory, and shoulder regions. Besides, intraoral maneuvers will be made using latex gloves, for masseter, medial, and lateral pterygoid muscles. Subsequently, motor control exercises will be performed
Other: Manual Therapy
Motor control (exercise): the session will focus on strengthening and stretching exercises for the cervical, masticatory, and shoulder muscles .
Other: Motor control exercises
3 times a week, for 6 weeks.
3 times a week, for 6 weeks.
Maximal mouth opening (MMO)
MMO will be assessed with a sliding calliper measuring the inter-incisor distance asking the patients to open the mouth as maximum as possible.
Time frame: 6 weeks
Temporomandibular disorders (TMD)
TMD will be assessed with the Fonseca Anamneses Index, that classifies TMD as no dysfunction, light dysfunction, moderate dysfunction or severe dysfunction
Time frame: 6 weeks
Swallowing function
Eating Assessment Tool (EAT-10) will be used to evaluate self-reported swallowing impairments. It is a 5 point Likert scale rating from no impairment to severe problem. The sum of all items contained on the questionnaire is used as the overall score, suggesting an abnormal swallowing when score is higher than 3
Time frame: 6 weeks
Swallowing difficulty
A Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) will be used to register swallowing difficulties, ranging from 0 (no problems) to 10 (impossible to swallow)
Time frame: 6 weeks
Dysphagia
Water Swallow Test, subject will be ask to drink 100 mL of water as quickly as is comfortably possible. The time to swallow this 100 mL (in seconds) and the number of swallows will be count.
Time frame: 6 weeks
Shoulder active range of motion (AROM)
The active range of motion (AROM) of flexion, abduction, and external and internal rotations will be assessed bilaterally. For measurement, a manual goniometer with two arms and a range of 360º will be used.
Time frame: 6 weeks
Cervical active range of motion (AROM)
The active range of motion (AROM) of cervical flexion, extension, lateral flexion, and rotation will be assessed. For this purpose, a cervical range of motion instrument (CROM) will be used.
Time frame: 6 weeks
Deep cervical flexors endurance
Endurance of deep cervical flexor muscles will be assessed with the deep cervical flexor endurance test, with the patient in a supine lying position with the examiner's hands under his/her head and being told to fold the chin completely to the sternum and raising the head as minimum as possible without touching examiner's hands. Time is counted from when the patient lift his/her head until when he/she can no longer maintain the position.
Time frame: 6 weeks
Muscle Function Test
Defined for the upper fibers of the trapezius, will be used as a test to assess shoulder muscle strength. With the subject in a seated position and arms at both sides of the trunk, they will be asked to push caudally-cranially against the evaluator's hand, placed on their shoulder. The muscle function scale ranges from 0 (complete absence of muscle contraction) to 5 (normal muscle response)
Time frame: 6 weeks
Isometric handgrip strength
A digital dynamometer with adjustable grip will be used to assess handgrip strength. The patient will be asked, while in a seated position, holding a dynamometer, with the elbow flexed at 90° and the shoulder in a neutral position, to perform a grip with maximum effort. Three attempts will be made with each hand (a total of 6 attempts), with a 1-minute rest between each attempt. The average of the three attempts will be calculated for data analysis.
Time frame: 6 weeks
Pain Intensity
At the cervical and temporomandibular joint levels (bilaterally), assessment will be conducted using a validated Visual Analog Scale (VAS): a horizontal line measuring 10 cm in length, with "no pain" at its left end (score 0) and "maximum pain" at its right end (score 10). Patients will be asked to mark the intensity of perceived pain during their day-to-day activities by placing a cross on the line.
Time frame: 6 weeks
Pressure pain thresholds
Pressure algometry will be assessed over the temporalis, masseter, upper trapezius and levator scapulae muscles and the C5-C6 zygapophyseal joint, the sternoclavicular joint and the tibialis anterior muscle as a distant reference muscle.Each point to be evaluated will be analyzed three times with a 30-second interval between assessments, and the arithmetic mean of the three measurements will be used for subsequent statistical analysis.
Time frame: 6 weeks
Shoulder pain and disability perception
Shoulder pain and disability index (SPADI) will be used to evaluate pain and disability perception of the patients at shoulder level.
Time frame: 6 weeks
Health-related quality of life
Questionnaire EORTC QLQ-C30 will be used for measuring quality of life
Time frame: 6 weeks
Health-related quality of life 2
Questionnaire EORTC QLQ-H\&N43 will be used for measuring quality of life specifically in survivors of head and neck cancer
Time frame: 6 weeks
Physical Fitness
International Fitness Scale (IFIS) will be used to evaluate perceived physical fitness. It contains 4 physical fitness elements (cardiorespiratory endurance, muscular strength, speed/agility and flexibility) to categorize into 5 options, from very poor to very good
Time frame: 6 weeks
Satisfaction with the treatment
It will be determined through a pre-designed questionnaire consisting of 6 items, including 1 item for overall satisfaction with scores ranging from 0 to 10, and 5 dichotomous response items (yes/no), where the patient can provide reasons for their response. This instrument has been previously used for this purpose.
Time frame: 6 weeks
Adverse Events (AE)
Safety will be recorded in terms of adverse events, defined as any unfavorable change in health that occurs during the intervention. Each adverse event will be characterized based on severity (Grade 1 \[mild\] to 5 \[death\]), expectation (expected or unexpected), and potential relationship with study participation (unrelated, possibly related, or related to the study) using the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE, version 5.0).
Time frame: 6 weeks
Plan to share: No
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