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Meet others living with Head & Neck Cancer: Introduce yourself
Head & Neck Cancer | Last Active: 2 days ago | Replies (688)Comment receiving replies
I have posted before about throat cancer surgery and reconstruction flap surgery Feb. 25th, 2026. Removed 1/2 base of tongue and portion of lower palette.
Did anyone have damage to their spinal accessory nerve? Shoulder droops with severe pain in the clavical/shoulder. Doing physical therapy but slow going and hard with pain.
I was on gabapentin for three weeks and quit it as it didn’t work and felt horrible. Use norco5 when unbearable, but doesn’t really work. Had mri, shoulder is intact so it has to be the nerve, damaged but not cut.
I read where many have this after neck dissection, but haven’t seen anything posted. I simply don’t know where to go for help.
Any help appreciated. Surgeon said it would take a year to heal, what to do during this time?
Still swallowing troubles, having a hard time, doing therapy for that too. Ugh.
Casey
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Hi @logi
My accessory spinal nerve is damaged (called Brachial Plexus Legions/Neuropathy) which is why my left shoulder sags (droopy) and trapezius muscles wasting away with winging of the scapula which includes limited range of motion.
I had 35 rounds (7 weeks) of Photon radiation for a total of 70Gy (Gray) and 3 rounds (211mg each) for a total of 633 mgs of Cisplatin chemo for tonsil cancer back in 2008 but no surgery. What made it even worse was that I was diagnosed with Tongue cancer on my left side of my mouth on March 1, 2024, and had a left partial glossectomy with a radical forearm free flap surgery on April 3, 2024. It also included a modified radical neck dissection. I have since read some posts here and found my own device online called Hugterra which helped relieve some of those neuropathy symptoms and discomfort coming from neck and shoulders. It provides 15-minute daily sessions that blend massage, stretching, Electrical Muscle Stimulation (EMS), and heat therapy, enhancing circulation, relaxing tense muscles, and restoring the neck's natural curve.
I also get PT from a specialized head & neck cancer therapist. Both the Hugterra and PT takes the edge off for me. Nerves take forever to regenerate and sometimes do not. All of this has not stopped me getting to the gym as I am an avid weightlifter for over 40 years, but certain angles of exercises are definitely more difficult with this nerve issue.
Good luck on your journey.
Rob