Prostate cancer may cause severe pain, either from the condition itself or from cancer therapy treatments designed to kill the cancer. Pain relief can take many forms, from natural remedies to drugs and therapies. Finding relief with one of these treatments, or a combination of methods, offers those diagnosed with prostate cancer enhanced quality of life.
Pain Relieving Medications
Pain is subjective, especially to those who feel it in different degrees and ways. Men dealing with prostate cancer pain may describe their discomfort as mild, moderate or severe. In many cases, mild pain is treated with the use of NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) such as ibuprofen. Moderate pain may be treated with a mild opioid like codeine, while severe pain may be treated with a stronger opioid like morphine.
Natural Herbal Treatments
Common herbal products designed to relieve the pain of cancer treatments, as well as pain caused by prostate disease, include stinging nettle, rye grass, African plum tree and African wild potato, just to name a few. Some of these herbs have been used for thousands of years for relief of pain and symptoms of cancers and other illnesses, but always let your doctor know if you would like to try a natural remedy in conjunction with traditional cancer treatments. Using natural remedies or approaches in health care is called CAM (Complimentary and Alternative Medicine), a practice that is growing increasingly popular in the 21st century.
