Cancer : Pain

by National Cancer Institute

(Page 5 of 16)

You may have pain after treatment. In some cases, it is caused by the treatment itself.

Types of pain you may feel following cancer treatment include:

Skin sensitivity where you received radiation. This type of pain is quite common and can last for many months. "I am so sensitive [there] that I cannot put on anything tight," one breast cancer survivor noted.

Pain or numbness in the hands and feet due to injured nerves. Chemotherapy or surgery can damage nerves, which can cause severe pain. (This is called neuropathy.)

Painful scars from cancer surgery.

Pain in a missing limb or breast. While doctors do not know why this pain occurs, it is real. It is not just "in your mind."

Getting Help With Pain From Your Doctor or Nurse

You deserve to get relief from your pain, and your doctor or nurse can help you. Wanting to control pain is not a sign of weakness. It is a way to help you feel better and stay active.

If you are older, you may not know whether your pain is because of cancer or because of other health problems, such as arthritis. You might not think to mention it to either your oncologist or your other doctors, but you should do so. If you are in pain, tell your oncologist or another doctor.

With your help, your doctor can assess how severe your pain is. Then, he or she might suggest one or more of the following approaches. These approaches have helped others recovering from cancer and may help you.

Pain relief medicines. In most cases, doctors will try the mildest medicines first. Then they will work up to stronger medicines if you need them. The key to getting relief is to take all medicines just as your doctor prescribes. To keep pain under control, do not skip doses or wait until you hurt to take these medicines. You may be afraid that if you use medicines you'll become a "drug addict," but this almost NEVER happens if you take the correct dose and see your doctor regularly.

Antidepressant medicines. Some of these have been prescribed to reduce pain or numbness from injured nerves.

Physical therapy. Going to a physical therapist may help relieve your pain. The therapist may use heat, cold, massage, pressure, and/or exercise to help you feel better.

Braces. These limit movement of a painful limb or joint.

Acupuncture. This is a proven method that uses needles at pressure points to reduce pain.

Hypnosis, meditation, or yoga. Any of these may help your pain. A trained specialist can teach you these approaches.

Relaxation skills. Many people with cancer have found that practicing deep relaxation helped relieve their pain or reduced their stress.

Nerve blocks or surgery. If you do not get relief from the other approaches in this section, you may want to ask the doctor about these. Nerve blocks or surgery often help if you have persistent, limiting pain, but they may put you at risk for other problems. They may also require you to stay in the hospital.

NOTE:

Health insurance does not always cover these approaches. Find out whether your policy covers the approaches your doctor recommends.

Tips: Talking to Your Doctor About Pain

Here are some tips to help you describe your pain to your doctor:

Use numbers. Talk about how strong the pain feels on a scale of 0 to 10, with 0 being no pain and 10 being the worst pain you could have.

Describe what the pain feels like. Is it sharp, dull, throbbing, steady?

Point out the exact places it hurts, either on your body or on a drawing. Note whether the pain stays in one place or whether it moves outward from the spot.

Explain when you feel pain. Note when it starts, how long it lasts, if it gets better or worse at certain times of day or night, and if anything you do makes it better or worse.

Describe how your pain affects your daily life. Does it stop you from working? Doing household chores? Seeing your friends and family? Going out and having fun?

Make a list of all the medicines you are taking (for any reason). If you are taking any for pain relief, how much do they help?

Talk about any side effects from your pain control medicine, such as constipation or other changes in bowel habits, or feeling groggy or "out of it." Many of these problems can be solved.

Talk about your goals for pain relief. Do you want no pain at all (which can sometimes be hard to achieve), or is your goal to feel well enough to do specific activities?

Keep a pain diary. A diary can help you track changes over time. It can also show how you respond to any pain control medicine or other treatment you receive.

Tips: Practicing Relaxation to Relieve Pain and Stress

Relaxation can help you feel better—both mentally and physically. For most of us, though, it is not easy to "just relax." Relaxation is a skill, and it needs to be practiced just like any other skill.

Many people wait until they are in a lot of pain or feel a lot of stress before they try to relax, when it can be hardest to succeed. Then they might try to relax by overeating, smoking, or drinking—activities that are not helpful and might even be harmful. Take the time to learn helpful relaxation skills and practice them often.

Finding Humor and Laughing As Much As You Can

Laughter can help you relax. When you laugh, your brain releases chemicals that produce pleasure and relax your muscles. Even a smile can fight off stressful thoughts. Of course, you may not always feel like laughing, but other people have found that these ideas can help:

• Enjoy the funny things children and pets do.
• Watch funny movies or TV shows.
• Buy a funny desk calendar.
• Read joke books or check out jokes on the Internet. If you don't own a computer, use one at your local library.
• Go to comedy shows.

You may even find you can laugh at yourself. "I went by to help a friend with her computer this summer, and it was really hot, so I took my wig off," one woman said. "I got ready to go and I could not find my wig. Well, her toy poodle had gotten it and had done a number on it, [but] I just stuck it on and went home. My husband said, 'What happened?' Needless to say that wig has never been the same."

About the Author

www.nci.nih.gov
The National Cancer Institute's research programs are extensive and contain many innovative initiatives. I invite you to explore our Web site to find out more about the exciting work being conducted here at NCI and by NCI-supported scientists throughout the country.