Judy Culbertson, PT, MLDT with a patientOne of our head and neck cancer specialists,
Judy Culbertson, PT, MLDT with a patient
Our head & neck cancer rehabilitation team, Judy Culbertson (Physical Therapy) and Bethany Firstbrook (Speech Therapy) bring over 30 years of combined clinical experience to the field. They are the area experts in providing rehabilitation from head and neck cancer surgeries. In addition, for patients who have been diagnosed with brain tumors or have neurological impairments as a result of their surgery, we also have a neuro-oncology program, which you can learn more about on our neuro-oncology program page.

Our head & neck team work in collaboration with physicians, surgeons and dentists to assure a comprehensive approach to treatment.

We focus on maximizing quality of life, a return to daily activities post-surgery, pain reduction, and long-term condition management (including a comprehensive home exercise program).

Most head & neck cancer patients can benefit from therapy but here are some questions to help you identify your own need for rehabilitation.

Do I need rehab - Key Questions:

Do you have treatment-related pain?
Did you have any lymph nodes removed as part of your surgery?
Are you struggling to regain mobility in your jaw, neck shoulder and/or arm?
Do you have scar tissue/fibrosis affecting your range of motion (ability to turn or move normally) or affecting your swallowing, breathing or speech?
Does your food feel like it gets stuck?
Have you experienced significant voice changes?
Are you struggling to maintain your posture and strength?
Do you ever feel off-balance or dizzy?
Do you experience tingling or numbness in your extremities?
Are you feeling generally weak or is your fatigue disproportionate to the activity you are doing?
Evaluation & Plan
We perform an initial evaluation that looks at the whole person and which phase of cancer treatment you are undergoing or whether you have completed your active treatment phases.

 We will them look at your goals and needs with a focus on:
  • quality of Life Issues
  • a return to daily activities - both in the home, recreational and occupational
  • pain reduction
  • long term management including a comprehensive home exercise program
  • mobility and range of motion
  • restoration of speech and/or voice function
  • improvement in swallowing ability
  • lymphedema management
  • scar tissue/fibrosis mobility issues

Tracheostomy and laryngectomy patients are welcome and will be treated by our speech therapist for swallowing, voice restoration, alaryngeal speech, and any other needs.
You will usually work with one main therapist for the duration of your treatment plan with us but your therapist may refer you internally for certain facets of your care to ensure you maximize the benefit from your treatment sessions. The core treatment, however, will be performed by your assigned therapist who takes overall charge of your case at Oncology Rehab.
Treatment
Our core treatment usually focuses on progressive manual therapy techniques. These treatments are one-on-one and hands-on in a private treatment room. Your treatment will likely include several of the following techniques to address your rehabilitation needs:
  • soft tissue massage
  • manual lymphatic drainage
  • lymphedema/edema management
  • postural education
  • scar tissue/fibrosis management
  • myofascia release of head and neck strcutures
  • voice rehabilitation speech therapy
  • dysphagia (swallowing) treatments
  • strength and endurance exercises
  • oral & shoulder muscle retraining
  • compression garments

We will also often arrange periodic consultations with our oncology exercise specialists and, if necessary, our neuro-oncology specialist to address any chemo toxicity issues you may be experiencing. Throughout your time with us at Oncology Rehab, we will ensure we educate you in managing your condition and keep you abreast of what we are looking to achieve with your treatment plan.