Jersey City Cancer Pain Treatment

Chronic pain from cancer is difficult for anyone to deal with every day. It can be debilitating and disrupt your life. You might not be able to work or perform routine tasks because of the pain you’re experiencing. When that happens, you need to seek pain management treatment from Jersey Premier Pain.

The symptoms suffered by people with cancer vary from one person to the next. It can range from occasional mild symptoms to consistent, severe pain. Cancer pain is typically dull, achy, or sharp. The type and stage of cancer, the extent of the disease, and an individual’s tolerance for pain all contribute to the symptoms experienced. It’s also not limited to the affected area, because cancer can cause generalized pain throughout the body.

Depending on the form of cancer you have, you could experience various kinds of pain, including:

• Nerve pain: Also referred to as neuropathic pain. It’s caused by pressure on the spinal cord or nerves, or by nerve damage. It commonly leads to a burning, tingling pain, or skin-crawling feeling.
• Bone pain: If cancer spreads into the bone, it damages the bone tissue, causing a dull or throbbing pain.
• Soft tissue pain: This may include pain from a muscle or organ, for example, such as pain in the back from tissue damage to the kidney. It’s typically sharp, cramping, or throbbing.
• Phantom pain: This occurs when there’s pain in the area of the body where the cancer was removed, such as when someone with breast cancer experiences pain in their breast that’s no longer there. Many describe it as unbearable.
• Referred pain: Feeling the pain from a specific organ in a different part of the body. It can happen because of nerves that lead to a different body part.

Cancer pain falls under two different categories: acute and chronic. Acute pain happens when there’s damage caused by an injury. It lasts for a short period of time. Chronic pain often occurs when the nerves are affected in some way. It’s usually the result of cancer pressing on nerves or from chemicals the tumor produces within the body. Chronic pain ranges from mild to severe and can continue long after treatment ends.

What Causes Cancer Pain?

You can experience pain from the actual cancer or from cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery. As cancer grows, it destroys or presses on structures nearby, such as nerves and bone, which can cause pain. It can also spread from its original site to another part of the body and cause additional damage to those nearby structures.

Surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation all cause pain in some way due to the strain placed on the body. The most common side effects people experience after radiation and chemo include:

• Constipation
• Diarrhea
• Bone and joint pain
• Mucositis (painful mouth sores)
• Nausea and vomiting
• Abdominal cramps
• Peripheral neuropathy (painful sensations or numbness in the legs, feet, hands, fingers, or arms)

Every cancer patient’s pain, however, is unique. That’s why is so important to have a comprehensive pain treatment plan developed with your specific needs in mind.

Cancer Pain Risk Factors

It’s difficult for healthcare professionals to treat cancer pain symptoms, especially when unknown factors may contribute to it. They might not ask you specific questions about cancer-related pain during your routine visits to their office. That’s because some don’t specialize in cancer pain, and don’t have the experience or resources to address specific pain profiles.

Many cancer patients don’t speak up about their pain because they believe there’s no relief available. They deal with it as a regular part of a cancer diagnosis. Others don’t want to complain or seem like they’re seeking out narcotics.

Some people don’t seek treatment for their cancer pain because they’re afraid of becoming addicted to their prescribed medications. It’s a common fear experienced by individuals in many different medical situations. Other cancer patients might worry about the side effects of their medication. Symptoms like fatigue could interfere with someone’s ability to function as normal.

Options for Treating Your Pain

Medication is a common form of treatment. However, a lot of patients prefer other options. Pain medications may cause nausea, fatigue, and other adverse side effects that prevent patients from thinking and acting as usual. Various treatments can reduce or eliminate the need to take oral medicine while relieving cancer pain. These treatments include:

• Acupuncture
• Chiropractic care
• Massage therapy
• Physical therapy
• Behavioral health
• Nerve block
• Epidural steroid injection
• Spinal cord stimulator
• Radiofrequency ablation
• Holistic intervention

Our specialists will usually recommend an integrated pain treatment plan that includes multiple techniques that can work in concert to minimize your pain.

Speak to a Cancer Pain Specialist Today

Jersey Premier Pain values our patients and their well-being. Our compassionate physicians and staff aim to provide quality pain management services. We work to exceed your expectations and ensure you feel relief from your chronic pain.

To schedule your appointment to speak with us about your cancer pain, call our Jersey City office at 201-386-8800, or fill out our online form.