At Carolina Spine & Pain in Greenville, we’re open six days a week to serve our customer’s pain needs. All of our employees are highly trained professionals who are ready to help you the patient in any way possible. Our goal is to help you live life as pain-free as possible so that you can get back to the life that you love and enjoy. You don’t have to suffer your diagnosis in silence.
Whether your pain is from cancer treatment or cancer itself, we can help you with our cancer pain treatment in Greenville, SC. Our goal is to help you live the best possible life. You don’t have to live in pain, you don’t have to miss out on all of the fun things in life because you’re in pain. Give us a call today at 864-778-3105 and let us show you how we can help you.
Table of Contents
What Is Cancer Pain?
Cancer pain takes a variety of different forms. It may be due to cancer itself, or it may be due to inflammation caused by tumors pressing against various parts of the body or different organs. The pain may be dull, sharp or burning, achy, constant, intermittent, mild, moderate, or even severe. Everyone feels pain differently and what feels like a sharp pain to one person may only be a dull or burning pain to another person.
Cancer pain may vary according to the kind of cancer that a person has. Some forms of cancer are more painful than other forms of cancer. Tumors may press against vital organs and cause more severe pain. The pain may be dependent upon how advanced the cancer is, the location of the cancer, and your pain tolerance on any given day. The more advanced cancer becomes, the more painful it becomes.
You might suffer from acute, chronic, or breakthrough pain.
- Acute pain is sudden sharp pain and might be the harbinger of a serious disease.
- Chronic pain is lingering pain. The pain may linger for days, weeks, months, or even years after an injury or medical condition.
- Breakthrough pain occurs suddenly in a person who already has a serious medical condition. Many refer to breakthrough pain as a “flare” meaning that it flares up and causes pain with a sudden onset.
What Are the Common Causes of Cancer Pain?
There are many causes of cancer pain. The kind of cancer, the stage of cancer, and the length of time that a person has had cancer may all affect the level of pain that a cancer patient has. Here are some good examples of cancer pain and its causes.
Pain From the Cancer Itself
The intensity of this pain will vary according to the type of cancer, location, and stage. Later stages of cancer may have more intense pain than earlier stages of cancer. It may also be dependent upon the area of the body that is affected by cancer.
Spinal Cord Compression
This pain will be dependent upon the area where the spinal cord is compressed, and the stage of cancer. Different areas of the spinal cord can be more painful.
Bone Pain
Many types of cancers have bone pain. Bone pain can range from mild to moderate, to severe. It can feel as if it is located deep in the bone tissue or it may be more superficial.
Pain From Cancer Surgery
Surgery is often used to remove tumors. Depending on the type of surgery you have, pain may last from a few days to weeks.
Phantom Pain Post Surgery
Post-surgical phantom pain can happen when a limb or appendage has been removed. The body doesn’t realize that the part is removed and it will give the signal to the brain that the limb or appendage has pain, even though the limb or appendage is removed. This can also happen in other forms when tumors are removed.
While the word “phantom” would lead a person to believe that the pain is not real, phantom pain is very real and many patients describe phantom pain as unbearable. It’s not unusual for a person to even pass out from phantom pain.
Pain From Chemotherapy and Radiation
Pain from chemotherapy treatments can vary from one chemotherapy drug to the next. Radiation will also cause pain in the area where it was given. It may feel as if the area has a sunburn after radiation treatment.
Peripheral Neuropathy
Peripheral neuropathy (PN) is a weakness or numbness alongside pain that is due to nerve damage. It’s typically found in the hands or the feet. Diabetes and cancer are the usual reasons for this condition however, it can also be due to injuries, infections, and other conditions.
Peripheral neuropathy pain can feel like pins-and-needles, weakness, numbness, or a burning sensation. Burning sensations may feel as if someone has lit a fire underneath of the area or as if the person has a flame to their skin.
Mouth Sores
Mouth sores can be caused by certain chemotherapy drugs or due to immunocompromised health. The chemotherapy drugs can cause damage to the tender skin cells in the lining of the mouth and the gastrointestinal tract. This damage may appear as ulcers or mucositis or stomatitis in the gastrointestinal tract or stomach lining. There are some treatments available to help ease the pain of such conditions.
Radiation Mucositis and Radiation Injuries
Radiation mucositis refers to mouth sores from radiation. This can be associated with severe pain and dysphagia. Radiation can also cause skin burns and scarring.
What Are Some of the Treatments for Cancer Pain?
Cancer pain is treated according to the type of pain that the patient is having. Different types of cancer present different types of pain in various parts of the body.
Medical Treatments
To help cancer patients to manage pain, doctors may prescribe medications and treatments, such as:
- Over-the-counter pain relievers like ibuprofen, acetaminophen, etc.
- Prescription medications derived from opium (opioids)
- Other prescription medicines (anti-depressants, anti-seizure, and steroids)
- Nerve blocks that block pain signals
- Injections
Physiotherapy & Alternative Treatments
Chiropractic care, massage therapy, and other forms of complementary therapies can also help reduce cancer pain.
- Acupuncture: Many acupuncture areas in the body help to reduce pain.
- Biofeedback: This is done in a therapist’s office.
- Massage: A good massage can not only reduce and ease pain, but it can also relax a person and help them to cope.
Physical therapy: Some cancer treatments may require physical therapy so that the person can get back to doing the things that they love.
Emotional Support & Taking the Mind Off Pain
People who have cancer often deal with fear and sadness as well as physical pain. Many benefit from emotional support and counseling in addition to techniques that take their focus off of the pain.
- Distraction: Concentrating on other things besides the pain. Having a “happy place” during painful procedures.
- Emotional support and counseling: Many counselors work with patients to help them deal with their pain and diagnosis. A good friend is someone great to have along with a patient as an emotional support person.
- Hypnosis: Hypnotherapy is a form of treatment that helps a person think of something else besides the pain of cancer.
- Meditation: Meditating on something other than the pain of cancer.
What Can Carolina Spine & Pain Do to Help My Cancer Pain?
At Carolina Spine & Pain in Greenville, we use chiropractic care, massage therapy, medications, and injections, to help us treat cancer pain according to where it is affecting our patients. Our patient’s comfort is a huge priority to us.
With services such as deep tissue massage, neuromuscular massages, and simply a relaxing massage, our patients are given a high level of care by highly trained and educated professionals. All of our employees are friendly and caring and have the goal of making sure that you can get back to enjoying your life as pain-free as possible and as soon as possible.
Call Carolina Spine & Pain at 864-778-3105 and let us show you what we can do for you with our cancer pain treatment in Greenville. You don’t have to live in pain.
At Carolina Spine & Pain, we offer a variety of services to help cancer patients cope with their pain and diagnosis. All of our employees are highly trained professionals who understand that the person is in a great deal of pain. Our goal is to help ease the pain of our patients and help them to get back to leading the lifestyle that they love as soon as possible.
Get Effective Cancer Pain Treatment in Greenville, SC!
Give us a call at 864-778-3105 and let Carolina Spine & Pain in Greenville help you as you move through the different phases of your cancer care treatments. We offer chiropractic care, massages, medication treatment, and injections that are all designed to help ease pain from cancer or other medical conditions.
We’re just a phone call away and ready to help you begin the lifestyle you lead before your diagnosis. The sooner you call the sooner you can begin to feel better.