Although cancer growth might not be painful, you may feel pain during treatment, especially if you undergo chemotherapy and radiation treatments. The pain from the treatments might get chronic and fail to subside for an extended time. Therefore, you would opt for tips to deal with Austin cancer pain to lead a normal life. The pain might be more intense in the areas receiving the radiation therapy than in any other body part. However, you can adopt home pain management to manage cancer and opt for medications if the pain doesn’t improve. These are tips for dealing with cancer pain.
Take Warm Baths and Use Ice to Numb the Pain
Cancer pain might strike after treatments, and warm baths might be soothing after the aggressive treatments. However, warm water might reduce pain by increasing blood flow to the affected areas, thus eliminating inflammation and swelling. However, warm baths might increase pain in treatment areas, and you should avoid hot water. Instead, ice packs may reduce the pain in the treatment area by numbing the sore areas. However, your doctor may ask you to avoid using ice on the area soon after the radiation treatments as it may worsen the pain. Before applying ice or warm baths, you should let the skin cool down naturally.
Use Over-The-Counter Medications
Over-the-counter medications might reduce cancer pain. However, you should read the ingredient lists to avoid allergens that worsen the condition. You can opt for ibuprofen as they are effective in dealing with cancer pain. You may ask your doctor if the medications are safe, as some painkillers may interact with the prescribed cancer medications.
Opt For Opioids
Opioids numb the pain that occurs during cancer treatment and your doctor will recommend the medications, especially for patients at the end-of-life stage. However, they will monitor how a patient responds to the opioids medications as the drugs might be addictive and ensure one does not become dependent on the opioids. They may not increase the dosage above a certain limit. Thus, you should be careful when taking opioids without a doctor’s monitoring.
Epidural injections
Epidural injections prevent nerves from transmitting pain signals between the brain and other organs. Thus it might be ideal for controlling pain during cancer treatment. Unfortunately, frequent injections might damage the ligaments and tissues and should be used as a temporary solution to cancer pain.
Integrative therapies
Integrative pain treats cancer pain holistically. Thus, it involves proper diets, exercising, and engaging in social activities. Your body will produce feel-good hormones when you engage in these activities, thus controlling pain naturally. Integrative therapies might be the ideal approach to cancer pain as it improves a patient’s mental and physical well-being.
Cancer might be painless in the early stages, but treatments are aggressive and lead to chronic pain. Thus, you should learn how to control the cancer pain to lead a normal life. First, you can opt for home remedies like warm baths and ice packs on the affected areas. Then opt for over-the-counter pain medications, and seek treatments from a doctor’s office. Finally, opt for treatments such as opioids, epidural injections, and integrative therapies.
