Impact of Travel Neck Pillow Use on Neck Comfort and Mobility After Thyroidectomy

The Visual Analog Scale (VAS) is used to measure patient comfort. It is a 10 cm (100 mm) long line that can be oriented either horizontally or vertically. On this scale, 0 indicates "extremely uncomfortable" and 100 indicates "completely comfortable." In this study, the 10 cm VAS will be used in a horizontal orientation.

The Visual Analog Scale (VAS) is a 10 cm line, drawn either horizontally or vertically, with one end labeled "no pain" and the other end labeled "worst imaginable pain." Participants are asked to mark the point on the line that best represents their level of pain. In this study, the horizontal format will be used, as it has been reported to be more reliable.

The McGill Pain Questionnaire (MPQ) was developed by Melzack and Torgerson in 1971 and validated in Turkish by Kuğuoğlu, Eti Aslan, and Olgun in 2003. It consists of four parts: (1) Participants indicate the pain location on a body diagram and specify whether the pain is deep (D), surface-level (Y), or both (D-Y). (2) They select descriptive words from 20 word groups that reflect the sensory, affective, and evaluative qualities of their pain. (3) The form includes items that evaluate the temporal characteristics of pain and factors that increase or reduce it. (4) Pain intensity is rated using five levels from mild to unbearable. Each response has a point value, and total scores range from 0 to 112. Higher scores indicate more severe pain.

Cervical spine range of motion will be assessed using a universal goniometer, a simple protractor-like tool designed to measure joint angles. The evaluation will follow the Kendall-McCreary criteria, which define normal cervical motion as 45-65° for flexion, 45-50° for extension, 55° for rotation, and 40° for lateral flexion. To avoid compromising the surgical incision, extension will not be performed in this study. Measurements will focus on flexion, rotation, and lateral flexion.