Cancer Pain Q & A

What is cancer pain?

Cancer is a life-threatening disease that often causes severe pain. Not all patients who have cancer experience pain, but when cancer pain does strike, it can affect your life in every respect.

Cancer pain can be either acute or chronic.

Acute cancer pain

Acute pain comes on quickly, lasts a short time, and then improves as you recover from your condition. Pain might be severe but doesn’t persist.

Chronic cancer pain

Chronic cancer pain lasts for more than three months without improving and can be very disruptive. Your pain could be mild, moderate, or severe, and you might sometimes experience breakthrough pain. That means you have a sudden flareup despite being on medication that usually controls your cancer pain.

What causes cancer pain?

The tumor itself is a common cause of pain, which usually arises because the tumor is pressing on other organs, bones, or nerves.

Your cancer treatment can cause pain, as well. Chemotherapy and radiation therapy, two of the main treatments for cancer, can weaken your immune system and make painful conditions worse.

If you need to undergo surgery to remove a tumor, the procedure and recovery can cause pain. Post-operative pain is usually acute and short term.

The compassionate providers at Optimal Pain & Regenerative Medicine® have effective treatments to combat cancer pain of all types.

How is cancer pain managed?

Cancer pain is most often treatable, and the majority of patients experiencing cancer pain do find they get relief from their pain with the right pain management plan.

Your provider needs to know as much about your condition and the type of pain you feel as possible, and needs to know:

  • When you have pain
  • How bad the pain is
  • When the pain started
  • How long the pain lasts

Using this information, a review of your medical history and an assessment of your current health, your provider at Optimal Pain & Regenerative Medicine® can create a personalized cancer pain treatment plan.

Cancer pain management uses a variety of medications, such as:

  • Non-opioid medicines
  • Opioid medication
  • Antidepressants
  • Antiseizure drugs
  • Steroids

Physical therapy, nerve block injections, and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) can all play a significant role in cancer pain management.

Certain surgeries, for example, an implantable pain pump, can also benefit you if you have cancer pain, especially if you’re not finding relief from other treatments.

Find out more about effective cancer pain management by calling Optimal Pain & Regenerative Medicine® today, or book an appointment online.