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?

Plain-language summary

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.

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