The Effect of Head and Neck Stretching Exercises on Voice, Anxiety and Psychological Resilience After Thyroidectomy

The Effect of Head and Neck Stretching Exercises on Voice, Anxiety and Psychological Resilience After Thyroidectomy

The aim of this clinical randomized controlled trial is to evaluate the effects of head and neck stretching exercises performed after thyroidectomy on voice function, anxiety, and psychological resilience, and to examine the effectiveness of this intervention in adult patients undergoing thyroidectomy.

The primary questions to be answered are:

Do head and neck stretching exercises improve voice function (Voice Handicap Index) after thyroidectomy? Do head and neck stretching exercises reduce patients' anxiety levels and increase psychological resilience? As a comparison group, researchers will compare the effects of head and neck stretching exercises to a control group receiving only routine care to assess the effects of exercises on voice, anxiety, and psychological resilience.

Participants will be asked to participate in the following procedures:

Patients in the experimental group will undergo head and neck stretching exercises in the early post-thyroidectomy period.

Voice function, anxiety, and psychological resilience will be measured in both groups before surgery and at postoperative day 1, week 1, week 2, and month 1.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patients aged between 18 and 65, with adequate cognitive functions, who could communicate in Turkish, and who volunteered to participate in the study were included in our study.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Individuals who had previously undergone partial thyroidectomy, had cervical problems before thyroidectomy, had current or previous voice disorders, or had any illness that could affect decision-making ability (psychological disorder, dementia, etc.) were not included in the study.