Does Craniosacraltherapy Combined With Exercises That Focuses om Respiration and Posture in the Upper Body Have an Effect on Xerostomia and Other Late Sequelae on People Who Has Been Suffering From Cancer in Mouth and Throat?

Overview

The current study aims to assess the efficacy of manual treatment with craniosacral therapy of fascial tissue in throat, neck, cranial and mouth region, on radiation and/or surgery-induced salivary gland hypofunction and xerostomia in patients who have received surgery and/or radiation therapy because of cancer in the throat and mouth regions. The hypothesis of this project is based on a recent clinical case treated by me: I practice as a physiotherapist and craniosacral therapist in a private clinic. The patient in question was treated with craniosarcal techniques (techniques that, in a broad sense, mobilizes the fascia, including meninges, dura, sleeves around the nerve-tissue etc.). He suffered from xerostomia and hyposaliva after neck surgery and radiation therapy four years prior to my treatment. During the second treatment of fascial release of the scar tissue and of the tissue around atlas, axis and occiput the patient strongly felt that his saliva started flowing. He received an additional 3 treatments, with fascial release techniques in neck, throat meninges and mouth regions, and three months after his last treatment the patient still reported much better production of saliva than before start of treatment. Furthermore, the patient reported significant gains in ease of speaking and eating. This project aim to assess if this was only an isolated event or if craniosacral therapy could be an evidence based method to increase saliva production and decrease xerostomia for patients after surgical and radiation therapy.

The aim of my project is to examine if craniosacral therapy in chest, throat, neck, cranium and mouth can decrease xerostomia in people who suffer from this after radiation therapy and/or surgery in neck or mouth because of cancer in mouth or throat. If successful, the project will be the first step in developing a clinically relevant treatment option for the growing number of patients suffering from xerostomia after radiotherapy in the throat and mouth area. This is needed, as only sub-optimal symptomatic treatments are currently available and xerostomia has been shown to reduce the quality of life. This study is inspired by a recent Danish project. In this study, stem cell therapy showed clinically significant improvements on both patient-reported measures and measured the amount of saliva produced. The authors suggest that the results may be due to a reduction of connective tissue and increased blood flow in the areas affected by radiation therapy. The authors proceed to suggest that hyperbaric oxygen treatment or other treatments attempting to increase blood flow in the radiation-affected areas could be used in combination with stem cell treatment to achieve a synergistic effect. The hypothesis that treatment that increases the blood flow in fibrous tissue damaged after surgery or radiation has a positive effect on the tissue and its associated physiologic functions is echoed in an article about strength and shoulder mobility after breast cancer surgery. In the Danish national guidelines for breast cancer, it is also recommended that women that receive radiation therapy for their breasts because of cancer, shall receive instruction in how to treat their radiated tissue manually. The writers of the two last sources hypothesize that manual treatment of fibrous tissue damaged after surgery and radial therapy can prevent tightness in fascia and nerve tissue and preserve a proper function and mobility in shoulder and arm. The writers of the first article claims that the good results after treatment and exercises is partly attributable to the increased blood flow in the area. A case study with 15 participants that in average 8 years previously has been through surgery or radial treatment because af cancer and who suffered from dysphagia because of fibrous tissue and neuropathy, showed that the symptoms dysphagia, airway problems and decreased mobility in the neck would be lowered by manual fascial techniques.The effect of any xerostomia was not monitored, but the study that reveals a new way to treat some of the other sequelae fibrous tissue ind mouth and neck can cause, support my hypothesis that manual treatment of fibrous tissue caused of surgery and/or radial therapy can cause increased tissue mobility, nerve conduction, and function in the fibrous tissue. In my project I will use the treatment protocol "Avenue of expression"and a few steps from the protocol "Ten steps protocol"which addresses the areas I expect to develop fibrous tissue after radial therapy and/or surgery in neck or head. The techniques used in these protocols is light (5 grams) manual craniosacral techniques, addressing the fascia in the airway system, the neck, the throat, the meninges and nerve sleeves in the cranium, the visceral cranium, and the soft tissue in the mouth. My rationale in this project is that manual treatment of scar tissue and tissue damaged by radiation will increase mobility and blood flow and therefore possibly increase the production of saliva and decrease the sense of xerostomia. The manual treatment is combined with home exercises that targets posture in upper body and respiration. This for maintaining the effects of the manual treatment. Second purpose of the project is to examine if the intervention has any effect on other well-known late sequelae after treatment of cancer in mouth and neck. Outcome is measured by a xerostomia questionaire inspired by the one used in "efficacy of the bioextra dry mouth care system in the treatment of radiotherapy induced xerostomia by Dirix P. Etal, and by selfreporting. " My project is the very first step into supporting my hypothesis. If the results of the treatments are promising, it is my plan to continue with further research and include a placebo group and a larger sample of participants.