Cancer treatment: pain management and control

Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have found that cancer patients often under-utilize pain medications, and thus continue to experience unnecessarily high levels of chronic pain.  The reasons patients may not use their pain medication include worries about side effects,  addiction, or misunderstanding of effective pain management.  The study showed that patients' quality of life was improved after receiving one-on-one counseling and became actively involved in their own pain management.  The patients' levels of pain were reduced by eliminating many of the obstacles they felt had existed in relieving their pain.  If you or a family member are experiencing chronic cancer pain, better adherence to their pain medication prescription and individual counseling and education about pain management will lead to a better quality of life.  The study used a combined education and counseling program called the RIDcancerPain program.