The invasion of tumor, surgery and radiation therapy will cause the scarring in neck soft tissue and tissue fibrosis, resulting in stiffer neck muscles.  The previously resilient neck skin, muscle and tendon as well as other tissues will harden and prevent the neck from easy turning, and result in inconvenience in life and poor posture.

Neck muscle fibrosis could happen after radiation therapy, which scope of level subject to the radiation dose received and the level of fibrosis produced.

Prevent Neck Muscle Fibrosis (Stiffness)

• Take progressive and slow exercises. Do not take sudden fast motions. Please sit on a chair with supporting back, hang the shoulder naturally downward, place the hands on the legs to breathe naturally. Do not hold the breath.
• Neck joint activity exercise: Do the following exercises 10~15 times with each time for 10~15 seconds. Exercise under easy and smooth style and avoid pulling with force.
• Neck leaning forward (a1) and backward (a2): Slowly bend the head forward to the end and return to the center line. Slowly stretch the head backward until unbearable. Then slowly return to the center line.
• Left (b1)/right (b2) neck rotation: Rotate the neck to the left slowly and then return to the center line. Take the same action for the right side.
• Neck rotation exercise (c): Turn the neck in clockwise directly for 1 lap slowly and another loop in the counter-clock direction.
• Neck slanted exercise: Lift the left ear slowly to the left shoulder and then return to the center line. Do the same on the right but do not lift the shoulder high.​

a1 Neck leaning forward	a2 Neck leaning backward
b1 Neck rotating toward left	b2 Neck rotating toward right
C Neck rotation clockwise and counterclockwise