Cancer Related Pain - Alternative Methods of Pain Management - I.V. Ozone and Traumeel

Alternative ways to treat cancer-related pain.

The National Cancer Institute reports that pain occurs in 20%-50% of patients with cancer. Cancer related pain can often be difficult to treat due to a lack of unified cancer pain assessment tools, the cause of pain can be multi factorial and the cancer treatments themselves may cause pain. It is necessary for the type of pain to be taken into consideration whether the pain is somatic, neuropathic or visceral in nature.

It is important to discuss the "numeric pain rating", location, onset, provocative or palliative factors, radiation and related symptoms, severity and intensity and effect on function, and the temporal patter (continuous or intermittent). 

Currently, doctors typically use medications for the treatment of cancer related pain depending on the type of pain. For somatic pain, acetaminophen, non-steroidal and anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS), opioids, radiation, lidocaine, and casaicin are most often used. For Neuropathic pain, gabapentin, tricyclic antidepressants and opioids are used. Visceral pain is treated with opioids.

There are a few natural approaches that you might want to ditch the opioids for. Acupuncture, medical cannabis, I.V. Alpha Lipoic acid and meditation.

Acupuncture. This may be an effective addition or alternative to pain medication for cancer-related pain. Although studies looking into the efficacy of this therapy have been small in number, there have been positive results. One of the studies followed 90 patients receiving acupuncture or sham points showed a significant decrease in pain intensity by 36% at 2 months in the acupuncture group and 0% in the placebo group.  Although studies like this have been small, they do provide significant statistical evidence that this may be a viable option.

Medical Cannabis. Medical cannabis has been proven effective in the treatment pain, and a safe alternative from harmful opioids. It has even been concluded safe, effective and reasonable for treating neuropathic pain.

Thankfully, New York has legalized the use of medicinal marijuana.Patients who were previously addicted to oxycodone and other opiates have benefited from getting off these dangerous addictive drugs and taking effective strains of medical marijuana for safe pain management

Meditation. Mindfulness meditation has been shown to reduce the subjective experience of pain, according to a pain scale-rating system. This combines focused attention on the breath, with objective consideration of thoughts and sensations that occur during the focused breathing. It works by changing the brain function during the exercise. Imaging of the brain during this meditation has demonstrated a reduction in pain associated with the activation of the perineural anterior cingulate cortex, orbitofrontal cortext and anterior insula. Because of the high level of opioid receptors in these regions of the brain it suggests opiodergic mechanism.

Ozone. Ozone therapy reduces pain because it reduces systemic immunological inflammatory responses. Patients who experience chronic pain due to Lyme, MS, Lupus, RA, cancer, osteoarthritis and other musculoskeletal conditions get great relief with I.V. ozone and injectable Traumeel. There are no side effects or risk of addiction. Ozone therapy is a safe effective and natural way to address systemic pain response.

Patients suffering with conditions that benefit from the use of medical marijuana no longer need to sacrifice their health to be a law abiding citizen. Piermont Gynecology refers patients with medical conditions that would benefit from the use of medical marijuana.  With many practitioners afraid to consult and refer patients, Dr. Enzenbacher is  licensed and educated in the marijuana referral process to provide patients with a thorough consultation and understanding of the process. 845 680-6600 to schedule your Med Mary consult with Dr. E.

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