Swallowing Rehabilitation Program for Head and Neck Tumor Patients

Evaluation of a Structured Swallowing Rehabilitation Exercise Program on Dysphagia and Trismus in Head and Neck Tumor Patients

This study aims to evaluate the effect of a structured swallowing rehabilitation program on swallowing function, trismus severity, and pain among patients with head and neck tumors, using a randomized controlled trial design. Eighty patients will be randomly allocated into two equal groups: a study group receiving the swallowing rehabilitation program and a control group receiving standard care.

The swallowing rehabilitation program is a structured intervention designed to improve swallowing ability, mouth opening, and jaw mobility in patients with head and neck tumors. It includes the Mendelsohn maneuver, effortful swallow, Masako technique, tongue strengthening, and jaw range-of-motion and stretching exercises, performed as three sets of ten repetitions twice daily. The program is delivered across four phases (assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation) over structured orientation, theoretical, and practical sessions. Outcomes are assessed using the EAT-10 (swallowing function) and the Gothenburg Trismus Questionnaire 2 / GTQ2 (trismus severity), in addition to pain level, at baseline and 6 weeks after initiation of the program.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Both genders
• Aged 20-60 years
• Patients receiving chemoradiotherapy
• Patients having a history of head and neck cancer
• Patients who had received previous radiation therapy for head and neck cancer

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patients who had neurological or psychiatric problems
• Patients who had dysphagia for a reason other than cancer