Cancer Pain is Very Frightening
Many people with cancer pain are frightened. They choose not to talk about their pain for fear that it is an indication of advanced disease. Increased mobility can sometimes reduce pain. Physical therapists can provide exercise programs to restore strength, increase range of motion, and improve endurance. Other physical exercises, such as walking programs and programs provided in fitness centers, have also been shown to be beneficial. Weights, upper and lower extremity fitness equipment, TENS units, pool therapy, myofacial release, therapeutic touch, ultra sound, treadmills, exercise bikes and universal gyms — all could be appropriate in treating patients with cancer pain, as long as the program is individualized for you. Talk to your doctor about the possibility of a physical therapy consult.
Log your level of pain, again according to a ten-point scale. Does exercise help relieve or worsen that pain? Record your pain level in the Daily Exercise Plan provided at the end of this pamphlet. You might want to share these numbers with your healthcare provider.
| no pain |
medium pain |
worst pain
imaginable |
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