Pain management in cancer by Homeopathy
One of the most common difficulties in treating cancer is pain. Pain can be associated with both localized tumors and metastatic cancer. Although only 15% of patients with nonmetastatic disease had pain associated with their tumor at the time of diagnosis, pain becomes more pervasive as disease progresses. With the diagnosis of metastatic disease the percentage of patients having pain increased to 74%. Direct tumor involvement is the most common cause of pain, present in approximately two thirds of patients with pain from metastatic cancer. Tumor invasion of bone, common in breast and prostate cancer and with multiple myeloma, accounts for pain in approximately 50% of these patients. The remaining 50% experience tumor-related pain that is due to nerve compression or infiltration, or tumor involvement of the gastrointestinal tract or soft tissue.
Pain Assessment
Is pain present?
What is pain intensity rating (0-10)?
What are descriptions of the pain?
Where is the pain?
Are there recognizable pain syndromes?
What is the current pain regimen?
What is the meaning of the pain?
Factor Question
Intensity :How severe is your pain?
Character: How would you describe your pain?
Location: Where is your pain?
Radiation: Does your pain go anywhere else?
Timing: When does your pain occur?
Correlated factors: What makes your pain better or worse?
Implications of pain :How does this pain affect your daily living?
Meaning of the pain :What does the pain mean to you?
Role of Homeopathy :
Homoeopathic medicines are useful in decreasing the intensity of the pain. Even in the later stages of cancer when metastasis has occur the homoeopathic medicines decreases the pain.