How to treat cancer pain?

Posted by Bryan Smyth on January 8th, 2019

According to statistics released by Cancer Research UK, a new case of cancer is diagnosed every two minutes in Great Britain, accumulating in over 360,000 cases each year. The numbers are frightening, but the fact is, more people are surviving cancer than ever before, and with the right treatment, pain medication, and aftercare support, your road to recovery may not be as daunting as you think.

What is Cancer Pain?

Cancer pain comes in many different forms, but not all cancer patients suffer from cancer pain. This depends on the type of cancer you have and how advanced it is. Pain could be caused by the cancer itself, when tumours press against nerves or internal organs causing inflammation and pain, by cancer invading the bones, or by cancer treatments such as surgery or chemotherapy, but most cancer pain is treatable, and you do not have to suffer in silence.

Moderate pain relief and over-the-counter medications can help you control cancer pain and limit the negative effects it can have on your well-being. While many cancer patients feel that the pain is ‘part and parcel’ of their illness, this is really not the case, and so speak to your medical care provider about the options available.

How Do You Treat Cancer Pain?

Like the disease itself, cancer pain can be treated in many different ways. If a tumour is causing the pain, your doctor may surgically remove it, or if this is not possible, attempt to shrink it with radiotherapy or chemotherapy.

Moderate and severe pain can be treated with opioid analgesics which contain codeine. These medicines are only available on prescription due to their strength and risks of addiction.

Opioids work in the body like a lock and key. When opioids (the chemical key) engage with receptors (the chemical lock) in the brain, they prevent pain signals being relayed to the brain. Opioid painkillers medicines, such as codeine phosphate, can be prescribed when traditional painkillers aren’t effective. You can buy codeine phosphate online from Prescription Doctor, following a quick consultation to make sure the treatment is right for you. Always speak to your doctor before taking new medicines, especially if you are already undergoing other cancer treatments such as chemotherapy or radiotherapy.

Complementary & Alternative Cancer Pain Remedies

While most doctors prescribe pain-relief medicines for cancer pain, there are alternative options available in the form of complementary and alternative medicines (CAMs). Alternative therapy is generally used instead of medicine, while complementary therapy is used alongside cancer pain relief medication such as codeine to help you feel better about yourself and have a more positive outlook on life.

Popular CAMs include:

• TENS Therapy or Trans-cutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation is thought to alleviate pain caused by some types of cancer. A non-invasive form of pain relief, it uses soothing electrical pulses to suppress pain signals being sent to the brain while encouraging the natural production of endorphins.
• Acupuncture is another complementary therapy that could ease cancer pain. Used in Chinese medicine for thousands of years, it works by stimulating the nerves to release ‘happy’ endorphins and natural pain reliever serotonin. Doctors often recommend acupuncture for cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy to relieve nausea, fatigue and other common side effects.
• Massage therapy not only feels good, but it can help cancer patients effectively manage their cancer pain. A soothing and relaxing treatment, it is thought to be particularly beneficial for those with advanced cancer and it could help relieve the pain associated with certain types of breast cancer.
• Relaxation therapy can relieve stress and anxiety and help cancer patients better manage their pain by soothing the nervous system. Mental relaxation techniques such as hypnotherapy can deeply relax a troubled mind, while physical relaxation therapy can relax the muscles to relieve pain.
• Practised in India for over 5,000 years, Yoga is thought to help cancer patients fight pain by reducing anxiety, depression, and fatigue. It also improves core strength and flexibility, and so it could be beneficial for cancer survivors who want to live a healthier lifestyle.

In a study released by the European Association of Palliative Care (EAPC) it was revealed that cancer pain relief medicines where being underused, and the results raised concerns with Cancer Research UK, who stated “It is almost always possible to treat the pain and other systems that cancer sometimes causes, so it is concerning that pain was not always well controlled for a significant number of people in the study”.

Cancer pain relief is widely available for all cancer sufferers, so speak to your doctor about the medicinal and non-medicinal options available, and journey back to health without cancer pain.