Exercises After Your Head and Neck Surgery

This video will show you exercises you can do after your head and neck surgery.

It's important to do exercises after your surgery to help make your neck and shoulder muscles stronger and more flexible. Before you start exercising, talk with a member of your surgical team to make sure it's safe.

If doing these exercises causes you any pain, nausea, dizziness, or discomfort, you should stop right away and call your doctor.

Doing these exercises may also make you feel tired. If you need to, you can do half of the exercises one day and the other half the next day.

Do these exercises three times a week. Move through each exercise slowly and avoid making any fast movements. Remember to take slow, deep breaths. Do not hold your breath.

Some of the exercises in this video are stretching exercises, and some are active range-of-motion exercises. Stretching exercises help improve flexibility. Active range-of-motion exercises help improve mobility and strength.

The first five exercises are active range-of-motion exercises.

The first exercise is called the Chin Tuck.

Stand with your back against a wall and place your head as close to the wall as possible. Tuck your chin in and try to flatten the back of your neck against or toward the wall. Then return to the starting position. Repeat this exercise 20 times.

Now we will demonstrate how to do Shoulder Shrugs.

You may want to do this exercise in front of a mirror to make sure you are lifting your shoulders up evenly. Lift your shoulders up as high as you can, towards your ears, and slowly bring them back down to the starting position. Repeat this movement 20 times.

The next exercise is called an Arm and Shoulder Retraction.

For this exercise, make sure to keep your head and back straight. Stretch your arms out in front of you, slightly bending your elbows, and point your thumbs up to the ceiling. Then move your arms out to the side while squeezing your shoulder blades toward each other.

Slowly bring your arms back in front of you. Make sure to keep your head and back straight and shoulders level. Repeat this exercise 20 times. Be careful not to jerk your head forward, overarch your back, or raise your shoulders up too high.

The next exercise is called Arm Circles.

Make sure to keep your head and back straight when you are performing this exercise. Slowly raise your arms up at your sides and circle them backwards. If you feel comfortable, try to make large circle movements. Make 20 circles with your arms.

This exercise is called Jaw Lowering.

For this exercise, sit or stand in front of a mirror so that you can see your face. Place the tip of your tongue behind your front top teeth. Then slowly lower your bottom jaw to open your mouth.

Use the mirror to make sure you are lowering your jaw straight down, and not letting your jaw shift to the right or left. Then close your mouth. Repeat this exercise 20 times.

The next three exercises are stretching exercises.

When stretching, you should feel a gentle pulling sensation in your muscle, which may be slightly uncomfortable, but not painful. If you experience any pain, then you are stretching too far.

This exercise is called Neck Turning Stretch.

Make sure to stand or sit up straight at your starting position. Gently turn your head to the right and look up slightly. You should feel stretching in the left side of your neck.

If you don't feel any stretch when turning your head, place your left hand on your left cheek and jaw and apply mild pressure until you feel a gentle stretch. Hold the stretch for 20 seconds, and then switch sides.

Next, turn your head to look down to your left, as if you are looking down the left side of your body. This time, you should feel a stretch in the right side of your neck. If you don't, place your left hand on top of your head and apply downward pressure.

Hold the stretch for 20 seconds and switch to the other side. Repeat each stretch four times.

The next exercise is called a Side Bending Neck Stretch.

Start with your back and head leaned up against a wall. Place your left hand on top of your head and gently pull your head down to the left. Point your right arm downward in the opposite direction of your head. You should feel a gentle stretch on the right side of your neck.

If you feel your head being pulled away from the wall, stop and bring your head back. Your head should maintain contact with the wall as it moves sideways.

Hold this stretch for 20 seconds, and then release. Repeat this movement four times, and then switch sides, pulling your head down to the right side and stretching the left side of your neck.

This exercise is called Chest Doorway Stretch.

Stand near a doorway and push your arms out to your sides, placing your forearms at shoulder level on the sides of the doorframe. Then slowly step forward with either your left or right foot.

Shift your weight forward until you feel a gentle stretch across your chest and upper arms. Keep your back straight and your neck and shoulders relaxed. Hold this stretch for 20 seconds. Bring your foot back to the starting position.

Repeat this exercise four times.

Doing these exercises should help strengthen your muscles after surgery. If you do not get back the full use of your neck or shoulders after two months, tell your doctor. You may be referred to a physical or occupational therapist to help you further.

You can also find information online by visiting www.mskcc.org/pe.

For some tips on how to be more comfortable after neck surgery, watch the Caring for Yourself After Neck Surgery video.