Dry Needling: An Innovative Treatment Modality for Improving Shoulder Function in Oral Cancer Patients—A Pilot study with Quasi-Experimental Design

Shoulder pain following accessory nerve dysfunction after neck dissection for oral cancer can be debilitating to the patients if not addressed early. The aim of our study is to assess the effectiveness of dry needling in reducing pain and improving shoulder function and range of motion (ROM) of the affected shoulder following neck dissection.

This prospective study included 10 patients with shoulder dysfunction and pain following neck dissection for oral cancer. Dry needling was done for the three muscle groups involved in shoulder function (supraspinatus, trapezius, deltoid) and cervical and thoracic manipulation was done where needed. Physiotherapy exercises were added for all the patients. Treatment duration consisted of weekly 2 sessions for a period of 4–6 weeks. The primary [visual analogue scale, range of motion (ROM)] and secondary outcome measures [Shoulder Pain and Disability Index (SPADI), disabilities of the arm shoulder and hand (DASH), manual muscle testing (MMT), electromyography (EMG)] were measured before and at the end of treatment.

Decrease in pain was the most notable finding, followed by increase in range of motion of the affected joint. There was also notable improvement in the Shoulder Pain and Disability Index (SPADI) and disabilities of the arm shoulder and hand (DASH), scores and near normal manual muscle testing (MMT), electromyography (EMG) values of the trapezius muscle was achieved.

Within the limitations of the study, dry needling is an effective and novel treatment strategy for treating pain and shoulder dysfunction associated with neck dissection after cancer therapy. It can be used alongside physiotherapy to improve patient compliance towards exercise and to decrease pain.