Shoulder dropping after neck dissection

Quite a few people report shoulder weakness. 
I can’t comment personally as I avoided a dissection 

one if our forum members 

 PFJTHS  has described something similar. He has a post in this thread that might be helpful RE: spoke to surgeons today and having an all dayer apparently omg 

The best person to help must be your physio. 
Best of luck. 

Took me about five months to get full movement back, exercised religiously couple of times daily, has left me with a very slightly sloping shoulder and also again slight, a nerve ‘twitch’ in my arm, but nothing I can’t just ignore, to be honest probably with all the exercising the affected arm is stronger than the other!

June

I’ve had the same issues. I had my neck dissection on 12.12.22 and the surgeon told me there was some damage to the accessory nerve during the operation.

Initially I had hardly any sideways movement of my arm. I did the arm exercises straight after the operation but they didn’t make much difference at that stage. I did none of them whilst I was having chemo radiotherapy but have been having regular physiotherapy for the last 6 weeks and doing the exercises twice a day since then. There’s been a gradual improvement and now 5 months on range is about 80% of what it was before my operation. There’s still a way to go and more muscle to rebuild but I can now do most day to day activities. I once read that it took at least 6 months for damaged nerves to recover. So whether it’s just time or a combination of time and physio - who knows! 

2 dissections and the last left me with a shoulder that meant I could lift almost any weight close to my body, but could not reach out for a cup of tea at arms length.  I got physio and regained nearly full use after around 18 months.  Not excessively painful, but very frustrating.

I also have what is probably frozen shoulder.  A few years ago that was in both shoulders and I could not wash my hair without excessive pain.  I received physio and was told it would take 1 1/2 years until it got to it's worst then another 1 1/2 years until it went.  That was an accurate assessment.  Alas it has now returned to the shoulder opposite my dissections... 

Hi did they say this was the accessory nerve? My physio is thinking that i may have a trapped nerve and the issue is not with the accessory nerve which is the more usual one to cause a problem after neck dissection

Hi,

I had my neck dissection in August 21. It was around 5 months later that I experienced almost the same symptoms as yourself. The surgery had caused some severe nerve damage to my face and neck. Lost all sensation on the right of my neck, right ear and lower jaw which hasn’t returned to this day.

However. After receiving physio and doing some light exercise i now have almost full use back in my arm. Its taken a while, just over 12 months but it does get better.

I still have some Supra -scapular nerve damage and my physio referred me to authotics at the hospital which set me up with a shoulder support. This helped a huge amount. Simply by keeping my scapular in place whilst doing everyday things.

Speak to your Physio or get referred 

All the best 

Paul

Hi thank you that is very helpful and interesting and will be useful to mention to physio and consultant. Stay well

Hi Foxylady I had the accessory nerve removed , my shoulder has dropped a bit on one side and my smile is different on that side. I had a salvage neck dissection 28/11/22 and got discharged from the physio a few weeks back. I would walk most mornings reaching up and touching the leaves which I think helped my recovery 

Hi I had a radical neck dissection in 2008 and have lived with a dropped right shoulder ever since. I have found it severely limiting and was told as you it was due to complications associated with the accessory nerve. I have lived with the pain for years and am now finally with the help of the pain clinic hopeful going to get some help other than swallowing opiates. I had another neck cancer in 2016 and again shoulder problems but not so extreme. Maybe a conversation with your physio about the pain clinic may be worthwhile.

andy

Hi reforne I have had a extended radical neck dissection I believe well thats what is says on a letter surgeon says it was a salvage neck dissection. I honestly believe exercise had helped me just basic walking and reaching up touch the leaves on trees . I find if i dont do anything I start to get stiff and odd pains. Granted it is like a big rubber band wound up sometimes lol