The Effect of Head-Neck Stretching Exercises After Thyroidectomy on Postoperative Pain Level and Wound Healing

Postoperative Pain Clinical Trial

Official title:

The Effect of Head-Neck Stretching Exercises After Thyroidectomy on Postoperative Pain Level and Wound Healing- Randomised Controlled Trial

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Completed

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT04680754
• Other study ID #: 2018/1763
• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Start date: January 1, 2019
• Est. completion date: August 12, 2020

Study information

• Verified date: December 2020
• Source: Cukurova University
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial 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

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.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Completed
• Enrollment: 82
• Est. completion date: August 12, 2020
• Est. primary completion date: January 1, 2020
• Accepts healthy volunteers: No
• Gender: All
• Age group: 18 Years and older

Eligibility

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.

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Pain, Postoperative
• Postoperative Pain
• Postoperative Wound Complication
• Wounds and Injuries

Intervention

Other:
• head-neck stretching exercises
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 (Nakamura, Kodama, and Mukaino 2014). 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.

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
Turkey	Cukurova University	Adana	Saricam

Sponsors (1)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
Acelya Turkmen

Country where clinical trial is conducted

Turkey, 

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	Postoperative pain intensity	Pain intensity assesment with Visual Assesment Scale (VAS) Score: 0-10; 0- No pain, 10- Worst pain	Reported pain severity in the first 24 hours after surgery.
Primary	Change from Postoperative Neck Pain and Disability at 1 month	Neck Pain and Disability Scale (NPDS) The scale consists of 15 items. Each item measures the severity of pain, and evaluates the interaction of professional, social and functional aspects of life, and the presence and extent of emotional factors. Each item has a 10 cm visual analog scale. It is divided into 6 sections at equal intervals by vertical bars. Each item is between 0-5 points.	Postoperative 1 st week and 1 st mounth
Primary	Change from Postoperative Wound Healing at 1 month	Patient and Observer Scar Rating Scale (POSAS) The scale consists of 7 items, 6 of them are for evaluating the scar (pain, itching, color, elasticity, thickness and irregularity assessment) and 1 evaluating the general opinion about the scar. Each item has a Likert-type score ranges from 1 to 10. 1 indicates normal skin, 10 indicates worst scar assessment. The lowest score in scale, which is 6, demonstrates normal skin, the highest score 60 demonstrates the worst possible scar. The scale score is calculated over the first 6 items.	Postoperative 1 st day, 1 st week and 1 st mounth