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Read BlogSurvivors sometimes experience ongoing pain after cancer treatment. Chronic (or persistent) pain may be mild or severe, and may affect quality of life. The good news is that there are now many methods of treating pain. Be sure to tell your health care team if you are having pain. You do not have to live your life in pain.
The causes for chronic pain vary, and not all survivors experience it. Chronic pain can result from cancer treatment or because the cancer has spread to other parts of the body.
Contact your health care team right away if you have new or worsening pain, numbness, tingling or a burning sensation in your hands or feet. In addition, let them know if your current pain medications stop working or aren’t working as well. Also, let them know as soon as possible if you develop painful swelling (lymphedema) in an arm or leg.
It’s important to get the best possible treatment for pain. If your pain becomes severe, it can be more difficult to manage. Your provider needs enough information to correctly assess your pain. Many providers ask patients to rate their level of pain using a pain scale: a rating of zero means no pain, and a rating of 10 stands for the highest level of pain.
Pain can affect your ability to sleep, eat, work and spend time with loved ones and friends. Tell your health care team how the pain is affecting your life. Your health care team should listen to you and ask questions about the nature and frequency of your pain. Tests may need to be done to identify the cause of the problem. It may take several methods to find what works best to relieve your pain.
You deserve to receive good pain care. Be certain that your health care provider has the experience and skills to treat your specific condition. Some nurses and doctors specialize in managing pain, such as physiatrists and anesthesiologists. If you think your provider is not able to effectively manage your pain, ask for a referral to a pain specialist.
Cancer pain is often treated with one or more medications. If you have concerns about taking certain medication, discuss this with your health care provider and pharmacist. Ask about long-term medication usage and side effects, such as allergies, constipation, sedation, memory impairment or other reactions.
Complementary (also called alternative or holistic medicine) treatments include massage, acupuncture, meditation, biofeedback or hypnosis. For some types of pain, heating pads, hot or cold packs and massage may be soothing and can help to reduce pain.
A health care provider may recommend counseling to help a patient cope with their pain or other distressing symptoms. Stress can make pain worse. It can also lessen the effect of pain management medications.
To learn more about these types of therapies, contact the National Cancer Institute. Talk with your health care team if you are interested in adding a complementary method of treatment. Let them know about supplements and herbs you want to try. Some types of complementary treatments can interfere with treatments prescribed by your provider.
Biofeedback is a method that uses the mind to help with pain. Breathing exercises, relaxation techniques, yoga, tai chi, qigong, visualization, meditation or guided imagery exercises may also be effective. Sometimes, talking with friends, laughing or listening to music can offer a helpful distraction from pain.
For severe pain, a technique called a nerve block is sometimes considered. This procedure may involve injecting a substance directly into or around a nerve or around the spinal cord. These procedures block damaged nerves from sending pain signals to the brain so that the pain will not be felt. Nerve blocks may work to control pain for people who have advanced cancer or very painful nerve conditions. However, there can be serious complications associated with these procedures.
Talk with your health care provider about the benefits and risks before any treatment to decide what is best for your situation. Every survivor responds differently to pain management strategies. Open communication with your health care team can help you decide together what will work best to manage your pain.
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NCCN. Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology. Adult Cancer Pain.V.2.2011. http://www.nccn.org/professionals/physician_gls/f_guidelines.asp
American Cancer Society. A Guide to Pain Control. Atlanta: American Cancer Society, 2001.
Cherny, Nathan. "Cancer Pain: Principles of Assessment and Syndromes". Principles & Practice of Palliative Care & Supportive Oncology 2nd Edition. Ed. Ann M. Burger, Russell K. Portenoy, David E. Weissman. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2002.
Dillard, J., N., The Chronic Pain Solution, Your Personal Path to Pain Relief. New York: Bantam, 2002.
McCaffery, Margo, Pasero, Chris. Pain: Clinical Manual 2nd Edition. St. Louis: Mosby, 1999.
Rosenfeld, A. The Truth about Chronic Pain, Patients and Professionals on How to Face it, Understand It, Overcome It. New York: Basic Books, 2003.