INNOVATION
welcome
RELIEF
Pain Management Is
the Key to Living Well
By Kari Bohlke, ScD
E
veryone has likely heard one
TALKING WITH AN EXPERT
"If pain goes unrelieved, it denies that
of the following at some point:
"Pain is one of the most common
individual comfort and greatly affects
"Keep a stiff upper lip." "Grin
symptoms
cancer,"
daily activities. What I tell patients in the
and bear it." "Play through the
explains Raed Rahman, DO, director of
clinic is that most people are multi-taskers:
pain." When it comes to cancer, however,
pain management at Cancer Treatment
they can do many tasks at one time. But
these suggestions do not apply. Untreated
Centers of America® (CTCA) in Zion,
when patients have severe pain, or pain
pain can interfere with virtually every
Illinois. Pain can result from the cancer
for many months, they can become uni-
aspect of life, from the ability to sleep to
itself or from treatments such as
taskers: they're focused only on the pain
the ability to enjoy the company of family
chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and
and may need help with a lot of common
and friends. Talking openly with health
surgery.
daily tasks."
associated
with
care providers about pain can ensure
"One of the barriers to adequate pain
appropriate care at the right time. Pain
relief," says Dr. Rahman, "is that some
MANY OPTIONS FOR
management is an important part of
patients believe that pain is something
PAIN MANAGEMENT
cancer care, and many treatment centers
that they have to live with." The
"You can manage pain in the human body
have providers who specialize in this area.
consequences of this can be far-reaching:
in a lot of ways," continues Dr. Rahman,
36 cancer fighters thrive | spring 2013
cfthrive.com