CANCER PAIN
Understanding treatment options for cancer pain
Treatment options for cancer pain
Cancer can be a debilitating disease, from diagnosis to treatment and hopefully into recovery. In most cases an oncologist (cancer specialist) directs the treatment of the patient with cancer. But if cancer pain becomes an issue, a pain management physician can be involved to address cancer pain.
Cancer pain occurs when cancer destroys tissues or grows. Cancerous tumors can press on organs and bones. Cancer treatments, like chemotherapy, radiation therapy and surgery, all contribute to pain symptoms from cancer.
Treatment options for cancer pain can include the following:
- Steroidal or nonsteroidal medication
- Physical therapy, pool therapy and customized exercise
- Intrathecal injection / pumps
- Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS)
- Epidural injections
- Nerve blocks that inject pain-relieving medication to a nerve root
- Sympathetic nerve root blocks that target sympathetic nerves to provide pain relief
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Dr. Robert Hannahan is a board-certified anesthesiologist who has specialized in pain management for over 30 years in the Northwest Florida and South Alabama region. He has pain management offices across the Gulf Coast of Florida, including Panama City, FL; Port St. Joe, FL; Enterprise, Alabama; and Dothan, Alabama. Dr. Hannahan is referred pain patients that suffer from back pain, neck pain, knee pain, hip pain, cancer pain and diabetic neuropathy.