“I see patients who are seriously under-medicated and do have pain,” says Colleen O’Neil, RN, breast cancer survivor, and peer counselor to cancer patients. “It makes me very frustrated. There are many approaches to pain control and they should all be considered in an effort to ease the suffering of cancer patients. People shouldn’t have to be in pain just because they have a cancer diagnosis.”

According to the survey, nearly half of patients suffering “breakthrough” cancer pain (severe pain that strikes without warning) say treatment doesn’t offer adequate relief. Patients ranked their pain from 8-10 on a scale from one to ten, but still many said their doctors told them the pain was a normal part of cancer or its treatment.

“Providers and patients should not accept breakthrough cancer pain as a normal side effect of cancer,” said Russel K. Portenoy, MD, chair of pain medication at Beth Israel Medical Center.

CancerPain.org describes “breakthrough” pain as pain that occurs despite the pain medications the patient is already taken: “These severe flares of pain are called breakthrough pain because the pain ‘breaks through’ the regular pain medication.”

They go on to say that if your doctor hasn’t offered you additional meds for this type of pain, something is wrong: “Almost all people experiencing chronic cancer pain should receive medications for around-the-clock pain control and a medication specifically for treatment of breakthrough pain. If this has not been offered to you, discuss this with your health care provider.”

Pain is something that some cancer patients feel they “have” to live with, but according to O’Neil, this thinking can actually delay healing. “Pain doesn’t contribute anything to the getting-well process,” she says. “It makes you feel vulnerable and frightened, not just because you’re hurting in the moment, but you fear it will continue or perhaps get worse. If your pain is well controlled, you feel more optimistic about your health and feel more resilient about your ability to recover.”

If you’re experiencing pain from cancer or cancer treatments, please don’t feel you have to suffer through it. There are a myriad of pain medications available, and getting yourself some relief will only help you to recover more quickly. To make sure you get exactly what you need, CancerPain.org recommends you communicate the following to your doctor or nurse:

• Tell them where it hurts, when it hurts, and how intense the pain is.
• Tell them what makes the pain worse and what makes it better.
• Tell them how fast it comes on, how long it lasts, and how often it comes back.
• If you’re taking medications, discuss how much relief they are giving (or not giving) you.
• Discuss how the pain is affecting your daily life—what activities can’t you perform because of the pain? Talk about your appetite, your sleeping habits, and whether you can perform your normal daily routine.

Then, ask about what other options are available to you—what other medications and alternative therapies may help. If your doctor tells you the pain is “normal” and fails to help you with it, make an appointment to see a pain specialist in your area.

Finally, don’t worry about medication addiction. Studies so far do not support the myth that cancer patients become addicted to pain medication. Take what you need to feel better!

Have you struggled with pain related to cancer? Please tell us anything helpful you may have learned.

Photo courtesy idhren via Flickr.com.

This isn’t the first time reflexology has been shown to benefit cancer patients. A British study found that compared to regular foot massage (in which reflexology pressure points weren’t stimulated), reflexology improved quality of life in 100% of the participants, compared to only 33% of the regular massage group. “Not only did the patients in this study enjoy the intervention,” said the researchers, “they were also ‘relaxed,’ ‘comforted,’ and achieved relief from some of their symptoms.”

In Australia, ten minutes of reflexology treatments helped provide cancer patients with relief from pain, nausea, and anxiety. According to the American Cancer Society, a 2003 study found that reflexology helped reduce cancer pain. And a 2007 study found that reflexology given by partners of patients reduced pain and anxiety in people with metastatic cancer. A clinical nurse specialist at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center writes, “Reflexology is ideal for patients with cancer because it is non-invasive, can be performed in any setting, requires no equipment, and does not interfere with patient privacy….I have seen reflexology transform patients from very high anxiety of 8/10 to levels of 2/10 within the course of a single session.” She goes on to quote a study of 1,290 cancer patients in which reflexology was shown to produce a 50% improvement in their symptoms.

What exactly is reflexology? According to the UK Association of Reflexologists, the therapy operates on the theory that following illness, the body is in a state of “imbalance,” with vital energy pathways blocked. Reflexology restores and maintains the body’s natural equilibrium and encourages healing. A reflexologist uses hands to apply pressure to the feet, working on certain points of imbalance to release blockages and restore free flow of energy to the whole body. Pressure may also be applied to the hands and the ears, and is believed to send signals through the peripheral nervous system. Practitioners may use specific pressure points on the feet (similar to acupuncture), which are thought to correspond to certain parts of the body.

Reflexology isn’t only to relieve cancer symptoms—back pain, sports injuries, migraines, digestive disorders, and sleep disorders can all benefit from the treatment. However, if you’re going through cancer treatments and haven’t tried reflexology, now might be a good time. Sessions range from 30 minutes to an hour, and are usually very relaxing, with the potential to relieve symptoms and side effects. Check with your cancer center for alternative therapies, or look to area spas that may offer reflexology as part of their massage services.

Have you tried reflexology? Did it help you with chemotherapy side effects? Let us know.

Photo courtesy jolou via Flickr.com.