A medical condition that everyone fears hearing about is cancer. Most people opt to be told they are suffering from another medical condition but not cancer because it is a serial killer disease that kills you slowly. Initially, cancer is usually painless, therefore, difficult to diagnose unless you attend your annual wellness exam. But as cancer advances, you begin experiencing pain which worsens to an extent you cannot bear it unless strong painkillers are used. However, if you begin experiencing pain; you do not have to bear it because there are various ways of providing relief. Therefore, if you are experiencing cancer pain and seek relief, Austin cancer pain management specialists provide a solution to all your concerns. They offer individualized multidisciplinary treatment plans to help alleviate cancer pain, promoting comfort and your overall well being. Let’s learn more about cancer pain below.
How does cancer result in pain?
Generally, cancer itself causes pain which is also the case for most cancer therapies. Cancer therapy causes pain and makes you experience some disruptive unwanted effects. For instance, you might experience neuropathic pain when you have a tumor compressing and exerting pressure on your peripheral nerves or spinal cord. However, the extent of pain you might be experiencing depends on the location and size of your tumor. You might complain of bone pain in other cases, especially when your tumor has metastasized to your bones.
Another way cancer can cause pain is after a surgical procedure for minor tumor removal. In some situations, surgical pain can be extreme and take some time to go, even after recovering. Some people may also suffer from phantom pain secondary to cancerous tissue removal. This kind of pain can also be experienced when you have a part of your body, like the breast, removed to prevent your cancer from metastasizing. Some cancer therapies like radiation and chemotherapy, as said earlier, can cause debilitating unwanted pain. Examples of pain cancer therapy causes include sores around the throat or mouth, peripheral neuropathy, or radiation injuries. Of importance to note is that you do not have to miss any diagnostic tests or therapies simply because you are experiencing pain because all you need to do is inform your care provider to help you manage cancer pain.
How can you manage pain?
Health care providers usually use a multidisciplinary approach in managing cancer pain to ensure you are comfortable, thus improving your general wellbeing. Before developing a treatment plan for you, they must consider the level of your pain and state of health. The treatment options offered may include radiofrequency ablation, spinal cord stimulator, medications, intrathecal injections, and nerve blocks. In some instances, a pain pump may be implanted to help regulate pain resulting from the administration of cancer drugs. Complementary therapies like yoga, acupuncture, and massage may be recommended along with your cancer therapies to help alleviate pain.
Cancer and its therapies can cause serious side effects like chronic pain, which affects your overall health. As a result, various treatment options are available to reduce the pain. Therefore, if you have cancer and seek cancer pain relief, you can get started by booking your appointment at Republic Spine and Pain today.