Evaluating Manual Neck Therapy and Voice Exercises for Voice and Swallowing after Total Thyroid Surgery

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are studying the effects of voice therapy combined with manual neck treatments on patients who experience swallowing or voice changes after total thyroidectomy. This trial aims to find out if adding neck massage, stretches, and pain neuroscience education to voice exercises and scar massage helps reduce complaints related to swallowing, voice, scar tethering, and overall quality of life after surgery. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two groups. One group receives manual massage to the anterior neck, neck stretches, pain neuroscience education, voice exercises, and scar massage. The other group receives voice exercises and scar massage along with placebo versions of the manual therapy, stretches, and pain education. The treatment involves five speech-language pathology sessions, including exercises and tests, one before and four after surgery. Throughout the study, participants have four visits with their endocrine or laryngology surgeon for evaluations and endoscopic tests. They also keep a journal of their home exercise practice. Researchers will measure voice clarity and quality, speaking pitch, swallowing quality of life, laryngeal sensation, scar tethering distance, and scar quality at the start and one year after treatment. Adverse effects will also be monitored. The study lasts until December 2027.

Impact of Manual Therapy on Laryngeal Function Following Total Thyroidectomy