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Impact of Manual Therapy on Laryngeal Function Following Total Thyroidectomy

Who can join

Ages 18 and older · All sexes

Inclusion Criteria:

* The study population consists of individuals with malignant or benign thyroid disease scheduled to undergo total thyroidectomy
* native speakers of English
* All patients will be greater than or equal to 18 years of age

Exclusion Criteria:

* Participants will be excluded if they have completed voice therapy prior
* are current smokers
* have organic vocal fold pathology or clear mucosal changes to the vocal folds that can affect vibration (e.g., vocal fold scar, polyp, or nodules),
* pre-existing unilateral or bilateral vocal fold paralysis
* have had prior surgical neck or chest history including central or lateral neck dissection
* pre- or post-operative abscess or inflammation
* have a history of head, neck, or chest radiation, diagnosed baseline oral or pharyngeal dysphagia
* have recently started taking in the last 3 months, plan to start taking or increase the level of testosterone during the treatment period
* greater than 10% otherwise unexplained weight loss
* had a recent aspiration pneumonia

About the study

In this clinical trial, the investigators are seeking to learn if a course of voice therapy, including neck massage, stretches and pain science education in addition to voice exercise and scar massage will effectively treatment patient complaints of swallowing or voice changes after total thyroidectomy as compared to voice exercise and scar massage alone.

The main questions it aims to answer are:

Will neck massage, stretches and pain science education reduce patient complaints of swallowing changes after total thyroidectomy?

Will neck massage, stretches and pain science education reduce patient complaints of voice changes after total thyroidectomy?

Will neck massage, stretches and pain science education reduce patient complaints of scar tethering and quality changes after total thyroidectomy?

Will neck massage, stretches and pain science education improve quality of life after total thyroidectomy?

Participants will:

Participate in 4 visits with the participant's endocrine/laryngology surgeon. One prior and 3 after surgery for endoscopic evaluation and tests.

Participate in 5 Speech-Language Pathology Sessions for intervention exercises and tests. One prior and 4 after surgery.

Complete a journal of the participant's Home Exercise Practice

What is being tested

• Anterior Neck Manual Therapy (behavioral)
• Pain Neuroscience Education (behavioral)
• Neck Stretches (behavioral)
• Scar massage (behavioral)
• Voice Exercises (behavioral)
• Placebo Anterior Neck Manual Therapy (behavioral)

Sponsor: Johns Hopkins University · Participants: 20 · Started: Jun 3, 2024

Contact the study team

• Claire W Ligon, M.Ed. · Phone: 434-390-6387
• Vaninder Dhillon, MD · Phone: 925-360-5939

Official record on ClinicalTrials.gov — NCT06383091

Locations in the U.S.

From ClinicalTrials.gov, data retrieved Sep 30, 2026. Each study sets its own eligibility; the study team decides who can join.