How to Manage Pain During Cancer?
drmanishgoswami Cancer is treated with a vast range of procedures depending on many factors. Pain is a common side effect that cancer patients can go through. Cancer treatment, chemotherapy, radiation, and combination therapies can cause severe to unbearable pain. This can be a side effect of certain medications as well that were used during treatment. There is cancer treatment in Siliguri that you may consider for effective results. But there are ways to manage pain during cancer, and it is important to know the reason and intensity of the pain. The pain during cancer can be sharp or dull, burning or throbbing, and it can affect several areas of your body.
What causes Cancer Pain?
The cancer itself can cause pain ..If a cancer tumour grows and destroys nearby tissues, then the patient may experience pain. As a growing tumour presses on nerves, bones or organs. The tumour can release chemicals that cause pain. Also, during treatment, the multiple tests, like a biopsy or spinal tap, to diagnose the cancer, can cause pain. Side effects of treatment are also one of the causes of cancer pain. If the patient is receiving medication for the bone, that can also cause pain
Types of Pain in Cancer Patient
Cancer pain is one of the most significant symptoms. It can be of many kinds depending on the stage, type and health condition. The type of pain determines the medication or treatment you require to get relief from the pain.
Here are some kinds of pains a cancer patient may experience :
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Acute Pain: A cancer patient can experience acute pain while recovering from the surgery and treatment. This pain can be severe or mild, but it goes away over time.
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Breakthrough Pain: This is a severe pain that you may experience after taking the prescribed medication. Breakthrough pain can start if the pain medication is no longer effective.
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Chronic Pain: Like acute pain, chronic pain can also range from mild to severe, but chronic pain does not go away. Cancer patients may experience chronic pain if nerves are affected or damaged by the treatment. According to experts, some cancer patients experience pain months and years after completing treatment.
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Phantom Pain: Some cancer treatments require removing a body part affected by cancer with surgery, and this causes phantom pain. You feel phantom pain in the body part that is removed by surgery.
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Referred Pain: When you feel pain in a certain area of the body because the cancer is in another part of the body, it is known as referred pain. For example, if you are suffering from liver cancer, which can make your liver swell and press on nerves that can result in right shoulder pain.
Effective Management of Cancer Pain
To manage cancer pain is important to understand the cause of the pain. Cancer pain can affect the quality of life during and after the treatment. If you go through chemotherapy, radiation therapy, the drugs and dosage can define the pain and its severity. If a surgery has been performed, you may also experience pain. In managing pain effectively, the treatment must involve a combination of medical and supportive care. Depending on the cause and type, there are many treatments to manage cancer pain, such as :
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Opioids (opium derived medication): There are certain medication that helps you in managing cancer pain, such as opioids. Opioids like morphine, oxycodone help you in relieving mild to severe pain, prescribed by a doctor. There are short-acting opioids that need to be taken often as the pain comes back quickly after the effect is gone. There are also some long-acting opioids that relieve the pain for a longer time, and sometimes shorter-acting opioids and long-acting opioids are prescribed together to treat pain. For managing the pain caused by cancer, you may visit the best cancer doctor near you.
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Paracetamol: It is usually well-tolerated and does not affect the stomach. It is an important medication that can help relieve cancer pain. Paracetamol is often used along with opioids.
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Injections: Some pain in cancer is treated with injections, which are effective and quick to relieve. Intravenous injections are inserted into the veins through a slender tube. It works instantly, but inconvenient for long-term use. Sometimes spinal injections are used, that is injected into your back through a small catheter. This procedure needs to be performed by an anaesthetist.
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Nerve Block: Blocking the pain signal is another method that is used to treat cancer pain. A nerve block involves injecting a local anaesthetic or any other pain-relieving substance near a nerve or group of nerves that produces pain signals. The place can be the back, legs, arms, neck, butts, and face where the medication is injected. Also, in some cases, doctors suggest pain pumps, which deliver pain medication to your spinal fluid through an implant in your lower spine, which treats the deep-seated spinal pain. Cancer can also cause nerve pain that you feel when your brain receives signals from peripheral nerves and interprets them as pain. Stimulators work by blocking those signals. A stimulator is a small electrode that is placed on your peripheral nerve, and it carries an electric current around the nerve or spinal cord.
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Physical and Rehabilitation Therapies: Cancer pain may limit movement, and inactivity can cause stiffness and fatigue. Physical therapies such as physiotherapy will create gentle exercises to stretch muscles, strengthen joints, and improve posture. Massage therapy and heat application help in treating tight muscles, and occupational therapy helps patients in performing daily activities. Physical therapy by a professional not only relieves pain but also improves mood and energy levels. When such practices are done consistently under an expert’s guidance, this can be meaningful in pain management.
In the end,
If you have cancer, then it is not necessary to have pain, but in most cases, pain is a prevalent symptom or side effect. Navigating through cancer treatment, which uses many procedures, including tests, drugs, and sometimes surgery. Going through these procedures can cause moderate to acute pain. The treatment and medication for cancer pain largely depend on the type, location of the pain and severity. To understand cancer pain and management, you may consider cancer treatment in Siliguri.
