Clinical trial NCT04680754: The Effect of Head-Neck Stretching Exercises After Thyroidectomy on Postoperative Pain Level and Wound Healing
Official title: The Effect of Head-Neck Stretching Exercises After Thyroidectomy on Postoperative Pain Level and Wound Healing- Randomised Controlled Trial
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Postoperative Pain
Postoperative Wound Complication
Lead sponsor: Cukurova University
Sponsor class: OTHER
First posted: 2020-12-23
Enrollment: 82
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: no
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Intervention model description: A randomized controlled experimental study to determine the effect of post-thyroidectomy head-neck stretching exercises on postoperative pain level and wound healing
Primary purpose: SUPPORTIVE_CARE

Brief summary: Background: Thyroid diseases are one of the most common health problems all over the world. After thyroidectomy, patients often experience discomfort such as neck pain, shoulder stiffness, shoulder movement difficulty, choking or pressing feeling. Head-neck stretching exercises provide neuromuscular coordination and flexibility in patients by reducing pain and muscle weakness.

Methods: This research was carried out as a pre-test / post-test control group experimental design study in 82 patients in the general surgery clinic of a university hospital in Istanbul

Detailed description: Thyroid hormones are responsible for many metabolic activities in human physiology. It increases the basal metabolic rate, affects protein synthesis and helps growth of long bones. However, when thyroid functions change in the human body, the individual can be negatively affected and some individuals may require surgical intervention. Thyroid surgery is a prominent treatment for goiter, hyperthyroidism, thyroid nodules or thyroid carcinoma.

It has been reported that the most important complications after thyroidectomy are laryngeal nerve damage and hypoparathyroidism. Therefore, patients generally suffer from uncomfortable symptoms such as neck pain, shoulder stiffness, difficulty moving shoulders, choking or pressing feeling. In addition, it is indicated that in the early postoperative period, patients experience limitation in neck movement and have a robotic walking style in order to prevent possible neck pain and protect the incision area. It is emphasized that these symptoms persist for a while after the operation and negatively affect the daily life of the patient.

Neck stretching exercises which include basic movements of the neck are simple and effective exercises. Stretching exercises provide neuromuscular coordination and flexibility in patients by reducing pain and muscle weakness. For this reason, neck stretching exercises should be performed in early postoperative period and a nurse should teach the patient the head-neck stretching exercises and ensure the patient's comfort after thyroidectomy.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* Having agreed to participate in the research verbally and in writing after being informed about the research,
* 18 years of age or older,
* Patients who were able to understand the information given, who could read, write and speak in Turkish, who have not any problems preventing verbal communication, and who underwent thyroid surgery were included in the study.

Exclusion Criteria:

- Patients who suffers from cervical problems before surgery were excluded from the study.

Primary outcomes:
measure: Postoperative pain intensity
timeFrame: Reported pain severity in the first 24 hours after surgery.
measure: Change from Postoperative Neck Pain and Disability at 1 month
timeFrame: Postoperative 1 st week and 1 st mounth
measure: Change from Postoperative Wound Healing at 1 month
timeFrame: Postoperative 1 st day, 1 st week and 1 st mounth
Secondary outcomes:
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Adana
country: Turkey
facility: Cukurova University
state: Sarıcam
Study officials:
affiliation: Istanbul University
name: Nihat AKSAKAL, Assoc. Prof. Dr
role: STUDY_CHAIR
References: