Pain Medications and Other Pain-reducing Therapies

If you experience pain, you have many different options for treating it. In this section, you can learn more about the medications most commonly used to treat pain. You may find that one or even two medications are enough to give you relief — and most of these medications can be taken by mouth. (People sometimes tend to associate cancer medications with injections, but pain medicines are usually taken orally.) You also can learn about other medical procedures used to treat pain, such as nerve blocks, and non-medical interventions such as physical therapy, massage, and relaxation. You may find it helpful to use one or more of these interventions in combination with medication.

Keep in mind that, when it comes to breast cancer-related pain, no two people are exactly alike. A cancer treatment that causes little or no pain for one person may cause intense discomfort or pain for another. You can work with your doctor and nurse to figure out the best pain control plan for you — and adjust it over time as needed.

• Non-narcotic Analgesics (also called non-opioids)
• Narcotic Analgesics (opioids)
• Coanalgesics for Pain
• Topical Analgesics
• Nerve-blocking Strategies
• Nerve Stimulation
• Surgery, Radiation Therapy, Chemotherapy, or Hormonal Therapy for Pain
• Physical Therapy for Pain
• Complementary and Holistic Medicine for Pain