Cancer, regardless the type can create nightmares in the lives of the patients and their loved ones.
Not only does it mean frequent visits to the hospital but also having to deal with pain both physical and emotional.
A cancer patient may be suffering from pain for three reasons. The tumors they have may be giving them pain. Even a small tumor may be very painful if it is applying pressure on a nerve, vital organ or bone.
The treatment that a cancer patient goes through may also result in pain; it could be from the radiation, chemotherapy or even surgery. The third reason would be the pain unrelated to the disease.
Each patient has his/her own pain thresholds and also the degree of pain differs from person to person. The treatment given for pain needs to be personalized to each of them.
Just because a person is suffering from cancer it does not mean that the person has to leave in torment. Proper medications under the guidance of the physician should be taken in order to bring relief from pain.
Many people are not too comfortable taking pain killers on a regular basis, especially opioids. The fear of getting addicted to them is genuine. A patient should take opioids only under the supervision of their physician. Prolonged use should be monitored as it may lead to addiction.
Morphine or morphine based drugs are not the only option available to cancer patients suffering from pain. There are many alternative pain relieving methods, which though not traditional can prove to be effective.
Hypnosis is being widely used for pain management, not only for cancer patients but for others with chronic pain too. Hypnosis is considered as a party game or even witch craft.
In fact hypnosis is only a relaxed state of the mind where the person becomes more receptive to other ideas. Hypnosis pain management is based on the belief that pain is not just a physical thing but also a psychological one. The body experiences pain but it is the mind that perceives it.
Hypnosis is a viable psychological solution for handling pain. Psychological factors like stress, anxiety and depression increase the perception of pain, while a person with calm and positive outlook can focus and keep the feeling of pain away.
Hypnosis may be guided or even self induced, either way it is effective and the results can be astonishing. Studies have confirmed that the brain perceives pain differently and can be trained to avoid the feelings of distress caused by pain.
Pain management dictates to a great extent the quality of life a cancer patient leads. Effective pain management is the key to a stress free and relaxed life and has a major contribution in the success of the treatment.
