Acupuncture or Standard Therapy in Treating Pain and Dysfunction in Patients Who Have Undergone Neck Surgery for Head and Neck Cancer

RATIONALE: Acupuncture may help relieve pain and dysfunction caused by cancer surgery. It is not yet known whether acupuncture is more effective than standard therapy in treating pain and dysfunction in patients who have undergone neck surgery for head and neck cancer. PURPOSE: This randomized phase III trial is studying acupuncture to see how well it works compared to standard therapy in treating pain and dysfunction in patients who have undergone neck surgery for head and neck cancer.