The effectiveness of neck stretching exercises in alleviating neck pain and self-reported disability after thyroidectomy: A systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials

Thyroidectomy can lead to significant challenges such as neck pain, disability, and limited range of motion. Therefore, our objective is to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials to investigate the clinical effectiveness of neck stretching exercises in alleviating neck pain and self-reported disability immediately after thyroidectomy. We systematically searched PubMed, CENTRAL, Scopus, and Web of Science from inception until July 28th, 2023. We assessed the selected trials for the risk of bias using both the RoB-2 and ROBINS-I tools. Our specific outcomes were the severity of neck pain and self-reported disability after thyroidectomy. The results were synthesized using risk ratio (RR) and standardized mean differences (SMD) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) in a random-effects model using Stata software. Nine clinical trials, comprising five randomized and four non-randomized trials, were included, with a total of 1026 patients. Neck stretching exercises were significantly associated with improved mean pain scores both after 1 week (n = 625 patients, SMD = −2.43, 95% CI [−4.65, −0.22], p = 0.03, I² = 98%) and 1 month (n = 545 patients, SMD = −4.11, 95% CI [−8.12, −0.11], p = 0.04, I² = 99%). Similarly, neck stretching exercises were significantly associated with improved mean self-reported disability scores both after 1 week (n = 298 patients, SMD = −0.70, 95% CI [−1.36, −0.04], p = 0.04, I² = 87%) and 1 month (n = 298 patients, SMD = −0.42, 95% CI [−0.65, −0.19], p = 0.0004, I² = 0%). The pooled analysis showed heterogeneity (chi-square p < 0.01, I² > 80%), except for the mean self-reported neck disability score after 1 month, which showed homogeneity (chi-square p > 0.01, I² = 0%). This systematic review and meta-analysis, involving 1026 patients, revealed the potential benefits of neck stretching exercises in alleviating neck pain and self-reported disability after thyroidectomy. However, further research is required to address methodological limitations, evaluate long-term outcomes, investigate potential moderators (i.e., the duration or intensity of the exercise program), and explore patients' analgesic consumption.