Myofascial pain, widespread pressure hypersensitivity, and hyperalgesia in the face, neck, and shoulder regions, in survivors of head and neck cancer

Effect of Physical Therapy Modalities on Quality of Life of Head and Neck Cancer Survivors: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis

“…This instrument may not be the most suitable to detect subjective benefits described by their participants (e.g., confidence, social functioning). The findings defend the EORTC QLQ-C30 as an overall instrument able to demonstrate the effect of different modalities of exercise, particularly in a population dealing with numerous treatment-related morbidities [7][8][9][10][11][12][13]. The rest of the instruments, which are presumably more specific (e.g., FACT H&N) [53], may have been less sensitive to the effect of the mentioned approaches [58,59,63].…”

“…All exercise programs described in this systematic review focused on strengthening the whole body (upper and lower limbs and even spine muscles), although the most popular locations in this review were the pharynx and oral cavity [58,59,63,64]. A possible explication could be that sensitive disorders caused by both cancer and treatment can determine this selection of global intervention instead of others more specifically [7,70,71]. Other low-intensity exercises whose target is the oral and cervical regions may have reported better results in terms of pain, which could translate to better QoL [7].…”

“…A possible explication could be that sensitive disorders caused by both cancer and treatment can determine this selection of global intervention instead of others more specifically [7,70,71]. Other low-intensity exercises whose target is the oral and cervical regions may have reported better results in terms of pain, which could translate to better QoL [7]. The potential mechanism responsible for these changes could be the increases of muscle mass, muscle strength and functional performance [68].…”

“…Surgery, which is determined by the stage and location of the tumor, presents a diversity of effects according to the timeframe performed, that is, before or after other oncology treatments. Unfortunately, there are adverse effects that remain even 10 years after surgery, such as pain and active trigger points on the head, neck and shoulder muscles, general hypersensitivity and hyperalgesia [7], insomnia and eating problems [8]. In addition, the emotional component of body image is a troublesome factor, considering that the location of these tumors makes them more visible [9].…”

The Case for Comorbid Myofascial Pain—A Qualitative Review

“…Recently, Ortiz-Comino et al compared the prevalence of trigger points in a case control study of 30 individuals with head and neck cancer suffering from cervical and/or temporomandibular pain with that of 30 matched pain-free controls. Active trigger points (defined as points that elicit the patients’ typical pain when pressed) were found only in the patient group [ 34 ]. The preselection of cancer patients with pain as opposed to healthy controls with no pain is a significant limitation of this study and indeed of many studies addressing this topic.…”