Other techniques for managing mesothelioma pain
In addition to oral medication, pain management specialists have a toolkit of other approaches and techniques to help patients deal with their mesothelioma pain. Physiologically based approaches include:
- Intrathecal implant: Patients who no longer get sufficient relief from oral or IV medication may have an intrathecal implant, which delivers a mixture of pain-killing medication directly into the spinal canal. The implant allows the patient to control the pain at home, reducing the need for hospital stays.
- Regional nerve blockade, or Nerve blocks: This a procedure involving the injection of a local-acting anesthetic combined with a corticosteroid and/or an opioid onto or near affected nerves. Corticosterioids such as cortisone are powerful antiinflammatories, and opioids are painkillers. A nerve block can be a single treatment, or can be repeated over time. In some cases the medications are given as continuous infusions. Because sterile conditions are required, a nerve block is usually performed in a hospital or an outpatient clinic. The precise placement of the needle is critical to the success of the procedure, and a doctor may use fluoroscopy, a real-time X-ray, or ultrasound to guide the placement of the needle.
- Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS): A TENS unit is an electronic device that produces electrical signals to stimulate nerves to the brain by transmitting an electrical pulse through unbroken skin. The battery-operated unit connects to the skin with two or more electrodes. The stimulus causes the release of endorphins, the body's own natural painkillers TENS is often able to bring relief from localized cancer.
- Acupuncture: One theory about how acupuncture works is that, like TENS, it may stimulate the body's production of endorphins. It has been helpful for some people in managing their mesothelioma pain.