Background: Many patients can experience shoulder dysfunction and limited range of motion (ROM) following neck dissection that can have a detrimental impact on their quality of life (QOL).
Purpose: To evaluate the therapeutic effect of muscle energy technique and mobilization on improving shoulder ROM following neck dissection surgeries and compare them.
Subjects and methods: This Randomized, single blind controlled trial was carried out on thirty-patients with shoulder dysfunction after neck dissection surgeries, their ages ranged from 25-70. The participants were selected from National Cancer Institute and were assigned at random into two groups, with each group including 15 patients. Group A (Muscle Energy Technique group): were given Muscle Energy Technique along with traditional physical therapy, three times weekly, throughout a duration of four weeks. and Group B (Maitland`s Mobilization group): were given Maitland`s Mobilization along with traditional physical therapy, three times weekly, throughout a duration of four weeks. Shoulder range of motion (flexion, abduction, and external rotation) was measured pre and post four-weeks of intervention.
Results: There was a substantial improvement in shoulder flexion, abduction, as well as external rotation in both groups and the comparison between both groups revealed that there was a statistical difference in shoulder ROM in favour of group A (p< 0.001).
Conclusion: Both MET and Maitland's mobilization might be useful manual therapeutic techniques in improving shoulder ROM following neck dissection surgeries, but MET found to be superior to Maitland's mobilization in improving shoulder ROM.