Cancer is a complex disease that challenges you in many ways. Many people with cancer are also plagued by chronic pain, with symptoms that take a toll on them physically and emotionally.
Thankfully, Victor Mendoza, MD, and the team at Vulcan Pain Management offer state-of-the-art pain management therapies to help patients deal with the painful symptoms of cancer. If you’re dealing with chronic pain related to your disease or its treatment, here’s how Dr. Mendoza can help.
Cancer causes pain in different ways. To some degree, the way cancer pain happens is what determines which treatment can help you find relief.
One way cancer causes pain is by encroachment. Cancer causes the cells in your body to divide rapidly and continually. As tumors grow, they crowd your organs, tissues, and nerves. Growing tumors can also interfere with the way organs work, another cause of cancer-related pain.
Ironically, many cancer treatments also cause painful symptoms. Surgery, drug therapy (also called chemotherapy), and radiation therapy can cause painful side effects, including peripheral neuropathy, a type of nerve pain that often affects your feet or hands.
Many cancer treatments affect your immune system, making you vulnerable to other medical issues that can cause pain. Finally, the stress associated with a cancer diagnosis and cancer treatment can contribute to painful symptoms, too, especially if your pain makes it difficult to sleep, socialize, or perform regular activities.
Cancer affects every person differently, and Dr. Mendoza customizes every pain management plan based on each patient’s needs. Pain therapy depends on several factors, including:
Dr. Mendoza works with you throughout your treatment to ensure your therapy remains effective in relieving your pain.
As a pain management specialist, Dr. Mendoza is skilled in various techniques that can relieve your pain and improve your quality of life. Possible treatment options include:
Therapies can be used alone or in combination to achieve maximal pain-relieving effects. Meditation, biofeedback, and guided imagery may also help relieve pain and help you cope with your disease, its symptoms, and treatment.
Many pain management therapies are most effective when initiated rarely, ideally at the first signs of pain. To learn how Dr. Mendoza can help you find relief for your painful symptoms, call 205-258-7246 or book an appointment online today at our practice in Birmingham, Alabama.
