What should you know about neck stiffness after neck dissection?

Neck dissection removes selected lymph nodes and may affect nearby skin, connective tissue, muscles, or nerves. Swelling, a healing incision, scar tissue, protective muscle tightening, and altered shoulder movement can all make the neck feel tight. Radiotherapy given after surgery can add dryness, tissue firmness, or reduced flexibility over time. Stiffness does not automatically indicate that cancer has returned, but a new pattern of pain, swelling, or reduced function deserves review. The operation and the extent of tissue involved influence recovery.

Follow the exercises and activity limits provided by your surgeon or physiotherapist. Gentle, regular neck and shoulder movement may help, but stretching should stay within the advised range and should not force the incision or cause sharp pain. Keep follow-up appointments so wound healing, shoulder function, strength, and nerve symptoms can be checked. Report numbness, weakness, increasing tightness, or difficulty lifting the arm; targeted physiotherapy may be useful.

Seek urgent help for breathing difficulty, sudden neck swelling, heavy wound bleeding, or rapidly spreading redness with severe illness. Contact the surgical team promptly for fever, wound drainage, increasing redness, new severe pain, a fluid collection, or stiffness that is worsening rather than gradually settling. New facial or shoulder weakness should also be reported because nerve-related changes may need assessment and rehabilitation.

Ask which movements are safe now, whether you need physiotherapy, how to care for the scar, and what level of discomfort is expected. Ask how radiotherapy could affect flexibility, which symptoms suggest infection or nerve irritation, and whom to contact outside scheduled visits.