Cancer

Another common side effect of cancer treatment is pain. Our palliative care and pain management programs are designed to help relieve or minimize your pain so you can feel better and remain more independent while undergoing treatment.

Palliative Care

Often, cancer patients whose illness is advanced experience significant pain. Our palliative care program is designed to help relieve the pain, symptoms and stress associated with a life-limiting cancer diagnosis and improve your overall quality of life.

A referral from your doctor or nurse is required to receive palliative care. It is offered while you are in the hospital and may be continued once you are discharged.

Learn more about our palliative care program »

Pain Management

For some cancer patients, the pain they experience can easily be identified and treated. For others, the pain may last longer and may develop into chronic pain. Because chronic pain cannot be stopped easily at the source, the nerves adapt, and some people may experience depression, anxiety and insomnia.

Pain affects each person differently, depending upon age, personality, perception, pain threshold and past experiences with pain. Psychological factors such as worry or fear of impending death can also influence the effect of pain. Insomnia, fatigue and anxiety can lower the pain threshold, while rest, sleep and diversion can raise it.

All methods of pain management attempt to either control the cause of pain or alter your perception of it. Our oncologists will evaluate all aspects of your pain to develop appropriate management techniques. These techniques fall into two categories and may often be used together.

• Using Medication to Control Pain –

  This involves the use of analgesics, as well as other medications to modify the patient's mood or pain perception.
  
  

• Approaching Pain Control without Medication –

  These include behavioral techniques, radiation, surgery, neurological and neurosurgical interventions. Traditional nursing and psychosocial interventions may also be used in an attempt to promote comfort and evaluate the effectiveness of the therapy.

If you are experiencing pain, talk to your healthcare provider or call the Novant Health Pain Rehabilitation Program at 704-316-1923 to take steps toward managing your pain. Learn more about our Pain Rehabilitation Program »