Mesothelioma Treatment: Other methods of pain control

Other methods of pain control can be used on their own or in combination with painkilling drugs to help treat the discomforts of mesothelioma. They include:

If your pain is hard to treat, your doctor may refer you to a doctor or clinic that specializes in pain control; you can also ask your hospital social worker for help locating one. For more on U.S. clinic locations see the links page of The North American Chronic Pain Association of Canada website.

The following material has been excerpted from www.cancerbacup.org.uk

Nerve blocks

Nerve blocks may help to relieve pain by blocking the pain pathways in the nerves themselves and preventing pain messages from getting to the brain. Types include long-acting local anesthetics, chemicals, freezing (cryotherapy) or heat (radiofrequency thermo-coagulation). Your local hospital or pain clinic can administer this type of treatment.

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS)

The TENS procedure stimulates the nerves to your brain so that the body releases its own natural painkillers (endorphins). TENS has been known to relieve localized cancer pain fairly well. Ask if your hospital offers this treatment. Or check with cancer centers or support groups.

Acupuncture

Acupuncture may work in a similar way to TENS (by stimulating the body to produce endorphins) and may be helpful for some people with cancer. Some specialists may use acupuncture (see Specialists), but your doctor or support group may have local sources you can contact.

Hypnotherapy

Hypnotherapy can help relieve cancer pain but is rarely effective on its own. However, self-hypnosis can be a valuable part of the whole relaxation process, which is used to reduce the effect of emotional upset on pain. Your doctor may have a list of local therapists who provide hypnotherapy, or you can contact the American Association of Professional Hypnotherapists http://www.aaph.org/ for further information.

You may find meditation, visualization, relaxation, or a combination of these techniques helpful in relieving your pain. Methods vary but the intention is the same: to reduce the stress and other emotional factors that may be making your pain worse. You can either go to classes to learn these techniques or buy tapes, CDs, records or books. Your doctor may know of local relaxation classes, some of which are especially geared to the needs of people with cancer.

Learning to relax


Learning to relax and let go of fears and anxieties - even for only a little while every day - can be very helpful in your overall efforts to control your pain. Reducing muscle tension itself is valuable.

A technique called progressive muscle relaxation involves getting to know particular groups of muscles in the body and learning to tense and relax them. Once you can relax and contract stomach muscles, neck muscles and others individually or together you can start using the technique during stressful periods to reduce tension, and therefore pain. Yoga can help you to train to control your muscles and breathing. You can find a local yoga organization in the phone book and learn more about it at The American Yoga Association http://www.americanyogaassociation.org/contents.html

When you relax each part of your body - arms, legs, hands, feet, etc - it can be helpful to think about space, heaviness or warmth within those areas. Again, when you have mastered the basic techniques you can use them to assist with pain relief during difficult times.

Some people are able to relieve some of their pain without drugs. Relaxation techniques, imagery, distraction, and others may also be used with pain medicines. You can find more information about non-drug treatments for pain at a local hospice, cancer treatment center, or hospital pain clinic.

Distraction


Distraction means turning your attention away from the pain (for instance when you watch television or listen to the radio).

Distraction can work better than drugs for sudden or intense pain or if it is relatively brief (say 5 to 45 minutes). It can provide temporary relief for even the most intense pain and is good to try while you're waiting for a painkilling medication to begin working.

Doing anything you enjoy can be good distraction, especially working with your hands, such as doing needlework, building models, or painting. Reading or watching television or a movie are also good distraction methods. Focusing on breathing slowly can distract as well as relax you.

Self-help groups


Groups that are organized specifically for those with cancer and their families can be very helpful. Sometimes sharing experiences with others who face the same challenges can be a source of new information and support and provide a chance to talk openly in a safe environment about your feelings. Health professionals sometimes run such groups, but more often they are led by people with cancer. Many teach coping strategies as well as giving practical information and emotional support.

Support groups encourage sharing of mutual fears and concerns in a supportive, non-confrontational setting. Group members communicate with one another frequently outside the group setting. In the group they deal with difficult family relationships, share with others what they have learned from their disease, and mourn those members who have died. They also work on improving communication with surgeons and oncologists.

Meditation

There are many different types of meditation, but they are all aimed at calming your mind and becoming "at peace" with yourself. You can try meditation by sitting quietly, and being aware of your breathing, without trying to control it. Whenever you become aware that thoughts have come up in your mind, just come back to the awareness of your breathing. Instead of paying attention to your breathing you can put an object, like a candle or a stone, in front of you and pay attention to that.

Meditation can be very difficult at first and you may feel that you are getting worse as you become aware of how busy your mind is. However, it will become easier as you practice. It can be very beneficial to let go of your distressing or depressed thoughts for a period of time once or twice each day. It is helpful to practice meditation regularly and have guidance from an experienced meditator. You can find details of meditation organizations in your local phone book.

Visualization

Visualization (creating mental images) is a technique in which you 'see' and 'hear' images and sounds that bring you pleasure. It's totally up to you what you create; if you can focus on these images very strongly, you can, to some extent, shut out symptoms of pain and discomfort. Relaxation tapes can help.

Emotional support

Emotions such as fear, anxiety and depression are common reactions to cancer and can make pain worse. It is important to get emotional help as part of the overall control of your pain. Talk about your worries and fears with people you trust, acknowledge the emotions you are feeling and try not to bottle things up. It is perfectly natural to feel a whole range of powerful emotions, including depression, when your life is suddenly turned upside down by cancer.

Sharing your feelings with your partner, a close friend or relative can be very helpful. But if you find it upsets you too much, ask your doctor or nurse to refer you to a counselor. You can locate one yourself through one of the counseling organizations listed under useful organizations.

While talking can definitely help, you may also consider taking an anti-depressant or a sedative drug such as diazepam, to help your mood or reduce anxiety. But of course, always consult with you doctor before taking any drug.

Spiritual help

Serious illness often leads people to question the meaning of life and to stop taking things for granted. Some people who have religious beliefs may find their faith severely shaken by their cancer diagnosis. Even people who have never been regular worshippers may suffer spiritual as well as emotional pain. People often ask questions like 'Is there life after death?' or 'Why should the people I love suffer?' Unanswered questions like this involving our deepest beliefs can cause great emotional and spiritual distress that heighten our sense of the pain we experience.

An illness like cancer comes as an unwelcome surprise in anyone's life, especially for younger people. You may feel angry or guilty and worry about how the cancer will affect your family now and in the future. These powerful emotions may cause you to feel isolated or frightened and to withdraw from your family and friends. Talking to someone about your feelings can help.

Religion can be a comfort to some people at this time, so ask to speak to a local minister, hospital chaplain or other religious leader if it feels right to you. But if not, then talking with family and friends and/or with a counselor or someone from a cancer support group may help.

For further information about pain management see http://www.cancure.org/cancer_pain.htm

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