ScienceDaily
A new study suggests that sleep problems lead to increased pain and fatigue in cancer patients. The results indicate that interventions aimed at trouble sleeping would be expected to improve both pain and fatigue in this patient population.
Results show that more than half the sample reported having trouble sleeping, with 26 percent reporting moderate or severe trouble sleeping. Compared with patients who reported no trouble sleeping, patients with moderate to severe trouble sleeping reported significantly more fatigue, pain and depressed mood. Using structural equation modeling analysis to evaluate causal relations and directions of effect, the best-fitting model indicates that trouble sleeping led to increased ratings of pain.
According to the authors, the relationship between pain and sleep often has been assumed to be reciprocal. In the present study, however, a model of reciprocal causation could not be fit to the data, and models in which pain caused trouble sleeping did not fit as well as the model in which trouble sleeping caused pain.
“We believed we would find a bi-directional relationship between insomnia and pain, but instead found that trouble sleeping was more likely a cause, rather than a consequence, of pain in patients with cancer,” said lead author Edward J. Stepanski, chief operational officer at the Accelerated Community Oncology Research Network in Memphis, Tenn.
The study included demographic, clinical and patient-reported outcomes data from 11,445 cancer patients undergoing treatment at the West Clinic, a large community oncology practice in Memphis. Participants had an average age of 61.5 years, and 74 percent were female. Breast cancer was the most common form of cancer, and about 25 percent of study subjects had received chemotherapy in the last 30 days. Increases in depressed mood also led to increased ratings of pain.
Younger age and recent administration of chemotherapy were both associated with increased trouble sleeping. According to the authors, younger patients often receive more aggressive chemotherapy than older patients; therefore, younger patients may be exposed to more treatment-related toxicity.
Stepanski stated that several studies have shown that cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) improves sleep in cancer patients who have insomnia. He believes that this type of intervention may decrease patients’ pain and fatigue by improving their sleep.

Adapted from materials provided by American Academy of Sleep Medicine, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.
Journal Reference:
1.The Relation of Trouble Sleeping, Depressed Mood, Pain, and Fatigue in Patients with Cancer. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, April 15, 2009

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Health and Nutritional Supplements, You Need Both

By: Tan Kim Kia

Health is the greatest treasure a man can have.

There are several factors that influence our health. Among them we find the pollution, stress, inadequate nutrition. All these factors are hurtful to our body.

Did you know that in a whole year we consume over four kilos and a half to five kilos of poisonous substances present in our food?

If not eliminated, these substances create a chaotic movement of our body cells and generate a favorable ground for the action of free radicals. These free radicals generate a great diversity of cancer forms.

Health depends on an adequate diet too. “Scientific evidence in support of the health benefits of nutritional supplements has grown dramatically in recent years,” said Jeffrey Blumberg, Ph.D., a professor in the School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University in Boston. “We must now work to translate this knowledge to health care providers, policy makers and consumers so the simple actions people can take to promote their health and prevent disease can be more fully realized. The impact of a rational use of dietary supplements can also help reduce health care costs which escalate every year as our population grows older.

Symptoms

Many problems such as : lack of energy, insomnia, headaches, depression, mood swings, anxiety, easy bruising, bleeding gums, slow wound healing etc. can be traced directly to deficiencies in specific vitamins and minerals.

Circumstances

Because of the methods applied nowadays in agriculture, which destroy the natural mineral substances, we cannot be sure that the agricultural products ensure us the necessary vitamins and minerals. Although all people should try to have healthy and balanced diet, few in reality do.

Nutritional Supplements to bridge your nutrition gaps

More and more people try the nutritional supplements as a way to combat the nutritional deficiencies and to ensure the necessary of vital nutrients for maintaining the quality of their life. Before you start taking nutritional supplements you must know a few things about them.

Nutritional supplements represent a support to our body. The nutritional supplements clean the human body and restore the deficiencies present inside. While taken constantly, nutritional supplements promote good health and help prevent disease. Nutritional supplements represent a good thing that we need . Here are a few things that you might consider before taking nutritional supplements:

1. Everybody can consume nutritional supplement and mostly if is diagnosed with a nutritional deficiency.

2. You must find out if you have a nutritional deficiency.

3. Ask your physician if it is safe for you to take nutritional supplements.

4. Does this supplement interacts with any drug or food you are consuming?

5. If you want to know more you can read about it or you can find more information at nutritional supplements guide from the Internet.

Quality

Regarding their quality, the nutritional supplements must be natural, easy to assimilate, must have a high nutritional value, must come from ecologically non-polluted areas and must be certified.

On the market are thousands of dietary supplements. Great companies fight for a place on the market. Each of them offers a diversity of products. These products seem to bring the same benefits to our body but they are in fact very different one from another. The difference is obvious when you read the label and you see the ingredients. The ingredients are the ones which make the products so valuable.

Research

The nutritional supplements are usually obtained after a period of research.

The research services work hard in order to offer us good products having great and rapid effects. It would be good for you when you choose to take nutritional supplements to inform upon the company which produces the products. If it is a world leadership or if it is among the greatest in the world than you may decide to consume the products it proposes to you. They are first tested over and over again and are only then offered to the public.

So we must be very careful when choosing nutritional supplements and do not forget to consult your physician!

About the Author:

Allan Tan Kim Kia is an nutrition scholar and author of Best Vitamin Supplements Guide who provides tips and advice how to choose and where to buy best vitamin supplements online. http://www.best-vitamin-supplements-guide.com

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Soothe Insomnia

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• Relieves stress, anxiety, mild depression, and insomnia
• Promotes optimal sleep patterns
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By: Chuck Arnone

Many studies have shown a link between stress and illness. Stress seems to have become a constant factor in today’s fast-paced society which can weaken the immune system and accelerate the aging process.
We talk about the three most significant stressors, namely, unwanted aloneness, loss of control, and loss of hope.If you can address those three stressors, you can enhance the power of the immune system,which may have an effect on how it’s able to fight those cancer cells and lessen the effects of cold and flu symptoms.

What we are looking at is if you can enhance the power of the immune system by doing things that make you happy, you will be healthier. Immune cells spend much of their lives circulating in those blood vessels.Immune systems of optimistic people have been found to fare much better under stressful conditions than those with a negative attitude.Chemotherapy has an affect on many cells in your body.

There is no question that good nutrition is necessary for a healthy immune system and that means a healthy variety of proteins, carbohydrates, fat, minerals, vitamins, fluids, etc. Your nutrition choices as well as your emotions can have a big impact on your body’s ability to keep up your energy levels and immune system.

In one small study, researchers found that moderate exercise (three or more times a week) increased the immune cell counts of women undergoing breast cancer treatment back to normal levels, and also improved the women’s mood and ability to handle their feelings comfortably. A healthy immune system regulates our body’s healing process and protects it against infections and diseases. Premature aging and fatigue are just part of the problem with stress and your immune system. Sleep time is when your body and immune system do most of its repairs and rejuvenation. Tea is a wonder drink as it has the ability to strenghten your immune system and fight off germs.

The field of study that examines the link between stress and the immune system is known as psychoneuroimmunology. Several studies in this area indicate that physical and emotional stress can have either good or bad effects on the immune system’s response. Autoimmune diseases are a result from this attack; the more commonly occurring examples include systemic lupus erythematosus (lupus), Grave’s disease of the thyroid, and rheumatoid arthritis. Autoimmune diseases are very sensitive to any kind of stress and symptoms worsen during that time. It is also interesting to note that many autoimmune disorders, such as lupus and Grave’s disease, occur more commonly in women than in men. A positive attitude, connecting to other human beings, and minimizing stress all have a lot to do with immune system health, as well.

Part of the solution to living longer and being healthy is to protect your immune system. A healthy system regulates our body’s healing process and protects it against infections and diseases. Stress influences our health so profoundly because of the way it affects our nervous and immune systems. Because of the connection between stress and health, stress management should be a cornerstone of your healthy lifestyle. Think about your state of health for a moment. And also the health of those you know. How we learn to deal with stress makes a huge difference in how healthy we are. Studies have shown that how a person deals with stress affects your health.

About the Author:

Chuck Arnone’s research into the immune system and it’s affect on your health can be very informative.

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Cancer pain: Relief is possible

From MayoClinic.com
Special to CNN.com

Not everyone with cancer experiences cancer pain, but one of out three does. If you have advanced cancer — cancer that has spread or recurred — your chance of experiencing cancer pain is even higher.

Cancer pain strikes in many ways. Your pain may be dull, aching or sharp. It could be constant, intermittent, mild, moderate or severe. Timothy Moynihan, M.D., a cancer specialist at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn., offers some insight into cancer pain, reasons why people might not get the pain treatment they need and what they can do about it.

What causes cancer pain?

Cancer pain can result from the cancer itself. Cancer can cause pain by growing into or destroying tissue anywhere near the cancer. Cancer pain can come from the primary cancer itself — where the cancer started — or from other areas in the body where the cancer has spread (metastases). As a tumor grows, it may put pressure on nerves, bones or other organs, causing pain.

Recent research has shown that cancer pain may not just be from the physical effect of the cancer on a region of the body, but also due to chemicals that the cancer may secrete in the region of the tumor. Treatment of the cancer can help the pain in these situations.

Cancer treatments — such as chemotherapy, radiation and surgery — are another potential source of cancer pain. Surgery can be painful, and it may take time to recover. Radiation may leave behind a burning sensation or painful scars. And chemotherapy can cause many potentially painful side effects, including mouth sores, diarrhea and nerve damage.

How do you treat cancer pain?

There are many different ways to treat cancer pain. The ideal way is to remove the source of the pain, for example, through surgery, chemotherapy, radiation or some other form of treatment. If that cannot be done, pain medications can usually control the pain. These medications include:

• Analgesics, such as aspirin or acetaminophen (Tylenol, others)
• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others)
• Weak opioid (derived from opium) medications, such as codeine
• Strong opioid medications, such as morphine, oxycodone, hydromorphone, fentanyl or methadone

These drugs can often be taken orally, so they’re easy to use. However, it you’re unable to take medications orally, they may also be taken intravenously, rectally or through the skin using a patch.

In September 2006 the Food and Drug Administration approved a new form of the opioid fentanyl (Fentora) that dissolves in your mouth. This medication may be particularly effective for intermittent pain episodes, which are sometimes called “incident pain.” These fentanyl tablets dissolve rapidly, and the drug is absorbed through the lining of your mouth.

Specialized treatment, such as nerve blocks, also may be applicable. Nerve blocks are a local anesthetic that is injected around or into a nerve, which prevents pain messages traveling along that nerve pathway from reaching the brain. Other therapies, such as acupuncture, acupressure, massage, physical therapy, relaxation, meditation and humor, may help.

In your experience, what are some reasons for not receiving adequate treatment for cancer pain?

Unfortunately cancer pain is often undertreated. There are many factors behind that, some of which include:

• Physician knowledge. One factor has to do with a physician’s knowledge and ability to treat and recognize pain. Some physicians and other health care professionals may not specifically ask about pain, which should be a normal part of every cancer patient’s visit. Cancer patients should be asked if they are having any pain. If they are, the physician should stop there and deal with the issue. Some doctors don’t know enough about proper pain treatment. If this is the case, your doctor might refer you to a pain specialist.
• Patient reluctance. A second factor might be a patient’s own reluctance. Some people might not want to “bother” their doctors with the information, or they may fear that the pain means that their cancer is getting worse. Some are reluctant to report it or report it as thoroughly as they should because they’re worried about what doctors or other people might think of them if they complain. They might feel that because they have cancer, they’re supposed to have pain and be able to deal with it. That simply isn’t true.
• Fear of addiction. Another factor might be a person’s fear of becoming addicted to the pain medications. This is something that we know doesn’t typically happen if you take medications for pain. If you take them when you’re not in pain or to get high, then, yes, you can get addicted. But the risk of addiction for people who take pain medications in an appropriate fashion — for pain — is very low, so this shouldn’t be a concern.
• Fear of side effects. Some people fear the side effects of pain medications. Many are afraid of being sleepy, unable to communicate with family and friends, acting strangely, or being seen as dependent on medications. People are also sometimes afraid that taking morphine may shorten their life. There is no evidence of any of these happening if the medication is dosed appropriately. And although strong pain medications can cause drowsiness when you first take them, that side effect usually goes away with steady dosing.

What side effects can you expect from cancer pain treatment, and what can you do about them?

Each pain treatment may be accompanied by its own unique side effects. For example, radiation treatments may cause redness and a burning sensation of the skin. And, depending on what part of the body the radiation is applied to, the radiation may cause diarrhea, mouth sores or other problems, such as fatigue. Chemotherapy certainly can cause side effects, such as nausea, fatigue, infection and hair loss, but it can be effective in relieving pain if it shrinks the tumor. There are medications to help with nausea. Relaxation techniques also may help.

Pain medications each have their own unique side effects that should be reviewed with your physician before taking them. One of the common side effects of the stronger pain medicines is constipation — common to opioids. It can be treated with appropriate bowel regimens as prescribed by your doctor, such as adding a stool softener and something to stimulate the bowels. Preventing constipation is much easier than treating it, so anyone who takes these strong pain medications should automatically begin a regimen to keep their bowels moving. Some of the other side effects of the strong pain medications include confusion, lethargy and sleepiness. The severity of these effects varies from person to person and commonly occurs with the first several doses. But once a steady amount of the medicine stays in your body, the side effects usually resolve. Hallucinations and behavior changes are uncommon.

The less potent pain medications actually may have more side effects, which also should be discussed with your physician before taking them. For instance, anti-inflammatory drugs might damage your kidneys, cause ulcers or increase your blood pressure. Aspirin can cause gastrointestinal bleeding, and acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) can cause liver damage if you take too much.

When should you discuss cancer pain with your doctor, and what points should you bring up?

Report any bothersome pain to your physician. If there is a minor pain that goes away, don’t worry about it. But if the pain interferes with your life or is persistent, it needs to be reported and should be treated. Although no one can guarantee that all pain can be completely eliminated, most pain can be lessened to the point where you can be comfortable.

It may help to keep track of your pain by noting how strong it is, where it’s located, what makes it worse, what brings it on, what makes it better and anything else that happens when you have the pain. A pain-rating scale from 0 to 10 — with 0 being no pain and 10 being the worst pain you can imagine — may be helpful in reporting pain to your doctor. In addition, pay attention to what happens when you attempt to relieve your pain. If you take medicine, do you feel any ill effects from it? If it’s a massage or something physical that relieves the pain, those therapies are important to report, too. Note whether they cause any ill effects.

What steps can you take to make sure you’re receiving adequate cancer pain treatment?

First, you need to talk to your doctor or health care provider if you’re having pain. Second, you and your doctor should set a goal for pain management and monitor the success of the treatment against that goal. Your doctor should track the pain with a pain scale, assessing how strong it is. The goal should be to keep the pain at a level with which you’re comfortable. If you aren’t achieving that goal, talk to your physician. If you’re not getting the answers you need, request a referral to a facility more skilled in the care of pain, particularly a major cancer center. All major cancer centers have pain management programs. For the most part, the medications and treatment for pain are covered by standard insurance.

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7 Serious Long Term Lack of Sleep Effects

By Carla Chausser

Lack of sleep is a rising problem in our society, and lack of sleep effects are getting stronger and more dangerous as the time goes by. Almost everybody has suffered of it at one time or another. If you have mild insomnia, it is easy to fix it with some home remedies. But if your lack of sleep is chronic, you might encounter some long term effects which can prove to be really dangerous.

1. The first long term lack of sleep effect is getting various heart diseases.

2. Diminished concentration and memory lapses is another nasty effect of a prolonged lack of sleep.

3. Depression is something that people automatically associate with lack of sleep, and with good reason.

4. Sadly, a prolonged lack of sleep can even cause death.

5. Hallucinations and psychotic episodes have been also noticed in various cases of insomnia.

6. Also several physical symptoms, such as fatigue, headaches, blurred vision and even nausea.

7. Weight loss – and not of the good kind, is often experienced in people who are constantly fighting with lack of sleep.

These are just the most common serious lack of sleep effects one can experience. It does not mean that one will have all these symptoms and effects at all times. You can have one of them, or several. It really depends on many factors, such as for how long are you already suffering of lack of sleep, what is your physical condition throughout (if your immune system is weaker, you will be stronger affected by it), whether you are a male or female. Studies showed that females are most prone to lack of sleep, and particularly effects such as depression, weight loss and nausea.

For further information on lack of sleep symptoms, causes, [http://lack-of-sleep.com/category/lack-of-sleep-effects]effects and treatments, visit my [http://lack-of-sleep.com/]lack of sleep blog, where you can take the insomnia test and see for yourself if you need help in conquering your lack of sleep.

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By Remy Vixamar
Published: 2/6/2009

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If you have been diagnosed with cancer pain, talk to your doctor to learn whether you may be a candidate for a pain-control pump (intrathecal drug delivery). Your doctor (or a doctor to whom you are referred) will put you through a screening process to determine if these treatments may benefit you. Results vary; not every result is the same.

by Terry OBrien

The Pain caused by cancer usually falls into one of two categories:

Nociceptive Pain and Neuropathic Pain.

Nociceptive pain is caused by damage to tissue. It is usually described as sharp, aching, or throbbing pain. It is often due to tumours or cancer cells that are growing larger and crowding body parts near the cancer site. It may also be from cancer that has spread to the bones, muscles, or joints, or caused a blockage of an organ or blood vessels.

Neuropathic pain happens when there is actual nerve damage. It may be caused by a tumour pressing on a nerve or a group of nerves. People often describe this pain as a burning or heavy sensation, or numbness.

If you have been diagnosed with cancer pain, talk to your doctor to learn whether you may be a candidate for pain-control pump (intrathecal drug delivery). Your doctor (or a doctor to whom you are referred) will put you through a screening process to determine if these treatments may benefit you. Results vary; not every result is the same.

Key messages about cancer pain

The experience of pain will be different for every patient.

? Pain does not always get worse. The level of pain experienced may remain unchanged, or may increase or decrease. In any situation medication can be adjusted to ensure pain relief.

? Pain is not related to the extent of the cancer. Experiencing pain does not necessarily mean that the cancer is more serious than if you had no pain.

? Take action as soon as the pain starts. Take pain relief when you first start to feel uncomfortable. It is harder to ease pain once it has taken hold. Taking medication for pain relief when the pain is bearable will not make the medication less effective later. The aim is to prevent pain. If you wait until the pain comes back you will suffer from unnecessary pain.

? When pain relief is taken regularly or ‘by the clock’ (such as every 4 hours), there is little danger that you will become addicted to these drugs. Addiction to pain killers is very rare in women with metastatic breast cancer. The dose can be tailored to your needs. Doses are increased or decreased according to the severity of your pain.

? Drugs for pain do not usually make you feel drowsy after the first or second day. Drowsiness can occur with strong pain relief drugs like morphine. However, the drowsiness usually passes in one or two days. People vary in how the medication affects them. You should ask your general practitioner about whether you can drive or work with machinery, and the effect of drinking alcohol with your medication.

? If one drug does not effectively help your pain, many other drugs or combinations of drugs can be used to give you pain relief. There is a large range of effective drugs for pain of all types and severity. It may take time, in consultation with your doctor, to establish the drug or drug combination that is right for you.

? Any pain can be difficult to cope with. However, pain is more difficult to cope with if you are also experiencing anxiety or depression. Also, being in pain can make you more likely to be depressed or anxious. If you are concerned by the feelings you are experiencing, it is important that you talk to your doctor as soon as possible.

Why Do People Suffer With Pain?

Many people suffer with chronic pain because they are unaware of treatment options that can help them live more normal lives. Others have fears that prevent them from talking about their pain, which in turn creates barriers to seeking adequate relief. (Not all treatment options are applicable to your type of pain.)

Read the following to see if you fall into one of these categories. If you can relate to these fears, remember that help and relief are possible, but only if you discuss your symptoms with your doctor.

? Fear of being labelled a “bad patient.” You won’t find relief if you don’t talk with your doctor about your pain.

? Fear that increased pain may mean that your disease has worsened. Regardless of the state of your disease, the right treatment for pain may improve daily life for you and your family.

? Fear of addiction to drugs. Research shows that the chance of people with chronic pain becoming addicted to pain-relieving drugs is extremely small. When taken properly for pain, drugs can relieve pain without addiction. Needing to take medication to control your pain is not addiction.

? Lack of awareness about pain therapy options. Be honest about how your pain feels and how it affects your life. Ask your doctor about the pain therapy options available to you. Often, if one therapy isn’t effectively controlling your pain, another therapy can.

? Fear of being perceived as “weak.” Some people believe that living stoically with pain is a sign of strength, while seeking help often is considered negative or weak. This perception prevents them seeking the best treatment with available therapies.

Management of Pain and side effects

You may experience acute pain due to your illness or after surgery. You do not need to put up with this pain, your health care team can work with you to prevent or control just about any kind of pain. A combination of pain control methods may be used to give you greater relief from pain.

Don’t let pain control you! Because there are many new ways to treat pain, it is important that you speak openly and honestly with your doctor or with a doctor who specializes in treating chronic pain.

BackTrouble UK.

http://www.BackDoctor.org.uk

http://www.BackTrouble.co.uk

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/cancer-articles/controlling-cancer-pain-392461.html

About the Author:

20 years in Gen Medicine with a keen interest in Back pain and Natural therapy!Launched Back Trouble UK early 2007 to promote more quality links and information on non invasive, natural therapy for people who are suffering with back pain and other related medical conditions.

Neuropathic Pain, Nociceptive Pain, Cancer, Cancer Pain, Tumour, Intrathecal Drug Delivery,pain Management

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More people call out sick from work because of chronic pain than call out sick because of the common cold. Chances are you or someone you know suffers from chronic pain.

More people call out sick from work because of chronic pain than call out sick because of the common cold. Chances are you or someone you know suffers from chronic pain. Pain is a necessary part of life. It alerts us when something is wrong with our bodies. It’s normal to experience pain with an illness or injury. Normally, this pain fades as the injury heals or the sickness goes away. This is referred to as acute pain. Pain becomes chronic when it continues after the healing time of the injury. This pain can hang on for months or even years and often causes depression in its sufferers. Chronic pain can also occur as the result of an ongoing condition, like fibromyalgia, arthritis, or cancer. Back injuries, carpal tunnel syndrome, and migraine headaches are some other examples of conditions that cause chronic pain. Some pain can result from injury to the nerves causing them send false signals to the brain. How massage affects your pain is partly dependent on its source. If your pain is caused by a muscle injury massage can not only help ease the pain but also help speed the healing process. Acute or chronic – these are the two words that describe pain. Acute goes away easily and rarely lasts long. Chronic is its exact opposite. Chronic pain can last for six months and is expected to recur at anytime. The main cause of it is very hard to pinpoint. And it doesn’t help if doctors were more interested in addressing the pains rather than knowing what is actually causing it. As such, chronic pain relief can be elusive to patients. But then again, there are certain medicines and therapies that are deemed effective for chronic pain. There are also a lot of medicines sold over-the-counter, which can truly help. While chronic pain is a major problem, patients do have options to treat it. Doctors normally prescribe medicines, antidepressants, and anticonvulsants, to address chronic pain. Chronic pain relief is also possible with physical therapy. Physical therapy corresponds to the low-impact exercises like swimming, walking, and stretching. If done regularly, these simple exercises can help your body a lot. It can help lower the intensity of the pain you’re going through. However, these exercises are best performed along a trained physical therapist. Both occupational and behavioral therapies could also help. In occupational therapy, patients are thought how to pace and condition themselves when doing everyday tasks. Don’t get discouraged if you are one of the chronic pain sufferers for which a cause cannot be found. An unknown source doesn’t make the pain any less real. Fibromyalgia, for example, causes widespread pain in muscles and joints. Yet, a person with fibromyalgia may not know the cause of the pain A healthcare provider may be able to link fibromyalgia to an injury or virus; but in other cases, a specific cause may go unidentified. Irritable bowel syndrome is another example of chronic pain for which the specific cause may not be known. Chronic pain may be related to changes in your nerve signals after a healed injury. Chronic pain may also be related to heightened pain sensitivity when your body produces lower than normal levels of painkilling endorphins. If you suffer from chronic pain do not ignore the warning signals. If you try to tough it out, the disease, illness, or injury may get worse. Left untreated, chronic pain can also mentally wear you down. Making massage therapy part of your treatment routine could help ease your pain and lessen your dependence on pain killing drugs. In the long run this will lead to less drug side effects and better health.

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Long-term survivors of adult cancers are almost twice as likely to report psychological distress severe enough to cause moderate to serious problems functioning in social, work or school situations, compared to the general population, according to a large, national study presented September 24, 2008, at the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology’s 50th Annual Meeting in Boston. Findings also show that younger long-term cancer survivors, those less than 65 years old, were more likely to experience severe psychological distress, than those survivors aged 65 and older. The study also found that there was no difference in the number of years since the cancer diagnosis and the increased risk of distress. Long-term cancer survivors are individuals who have lived five years or more beyond their initial cancer diagnosis.

“We hope these findings will raise awareness of the psychosocial needs of long-term cancer survivors and encourage routine psychological screening of these survivors,” Karen Hoffman, M.D., lead author of the study and a radiation oncologist at the Harvard Radiation Oncology Program at Harvard Medical School in Boston, said. “Quick, low-cost psychological screening tests are available that can and should be performed during clinic visits.”

There are an estimated 12 million cancer survivors living in the United States. These survivors may face many stresses as a result of their cancer experience, including adjustment to physical disabilities, changes in their social support system and fear of the cancer returning or of dying from cancer. Researchers identified individuals with severe psychological distress based on how frequently they felt nervous, restless, hopeless, worthless and that everything was an effort.

The study involved 4,712 long-term survivors of adult-onset cancer and 126,841 respondents never diagnosed with cancer using the 2002-2006 National Health Interview Survey, an in-person health survey of the U.S. population. Among survivors, the mean age at cancer diagnosis was 47 years and the mean age at the interview time was 62 years. The majority were survivors of breast, gynecologic, male genitourinary and colorectal cancer.

Cancer survivors were more likely to report severe psychological distress than adults never diagnosed with cancer. In addition to other findings, survivors who were not married or living with a partner, had less than a high school education, were uninsured, were current or former smokers, or had difficulty with instrumental activities of daily living were more likely to experience severe distress than those without these characteristics.

Source: American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology

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