Cancer Awareness: The Facts About Pain Management
Andrea Kenningsworth
Besides the usual fears, the announcement that you or a loved one has cancer
creates a frightening and complex situation concerning the pain the patient will
suffer during treatment. No one wants to suffer unduly, so this pain has to be
properly managed. The new field of pain management becomes a very important part
of the treatment of a cancer patient. There are now medical specialists who
determine the most effective management in each case, and there are many
different approaches to pain management today, so each plan is individualized.
That is now a big misconception, that having cancer will automatically mean a
great deal of pain in the treatment.
People frequently feel they just have to learn to deal with it. With today's
pain management techniques, this has become a complete fallacy. No-one needs to
adjust to pain any longer. If a patient is open and communicative about the pain
they are experiencing, his pain management team will be able to find relief for
the patient. There are a number of ways to manage pain, and the patient needs to
let the experts decide which steps to take to alleviate it.
Normally, your doctor will be very sensitive to your pain and discomfort.
However, if you feel your doctor does not seem to have a solution to the pain
you or your loved one is experiencing, it is important to meet with someone who
specializes in the area of pain management. These often include the oncologist ,
the cancer treatment specialist, who is a member of a pain management team. Some
other medical specialists who work in this area are neurologists and
anesthesiologists. A neurologist deals with the entire nervous system, the area
of the body that signals pain, and an anesthesiologist has the expertise to deal
with pain management during surgery.
Pain management should be considered part of the entire process of treating
cancer patients. It should not be considered a luxury. Neither should it only be
introduced when pain becomes completely unbearable. Dealing with pain can
actually hinder treatment, so your doctor will want to be informed about any
pain or discomfort as soon as it The method of pain management may change over
time, as the pain lessens or increases, so it is very important to keep your
doctor informed about the pain. One should not be over treated in this area, nor
should one be under treated.
The patient should follow the pain management plan closely once a pain
management technique has been identified. Under no circumstances should the
patient try to "tough it out"
by holding out and lengthening times between doses. The pain management team has
designed what they believe to be the appropriate course of treatment for relief,
and postponing doses throws off course. In many cases, people increase the
dosage to compensate for the greater level of pain, so this so called bravery
only makes matters worse. Gradually increasing or decreasing treatment is the
concept behind pain management. Allow the members of your medical team to decide
the proper dosage to control pain.
If your concern is that you'll become addicted or immune to the pain medication,
or that the side effects will cause you to change your behavior and lose control
of yourself, speak with your doctor. This isn't the case, and those who work
closely with your pain management know exactly what's necessary without risking
other areas of your health.
For more information about pain management, contact the American Cancer Society
or the National Cancer Institute.
Medical professionals are always on hand to assist you with questions and
concerns about all facets of the disease, including the management of pain.
Andrea Kenningsworth operates the website and writes for
Lu Cancer which is a one-stop information
center for all the latest resources and articles related to cancer. For more
details please visit http://www.lucancer.com.