How to reduce bone pain in patients with advanced bone cancer

Pain is the main manifestation of malignant bone tumors. Patients with advanced bone cancer often experience bone and joint pain or swelling, which is especially severe at night. The pain can be continuous dull pain, or it can only be felt when pressure is applied, and sometimes it is not even necessarily related to activity.

The occurrence of late-stage bone pain brings unbearable suffering to patients. So how should we care for patients in pain to alleviate their suffering?

1. Understand the nature, degree, and duration of the pain, and use painkillers early, adequately, and accurately according to the doctor's instructions. Generally, they should be used in the early stages of the pain attack. Three-step analgesics are commonly used.

2. Bone cancer patients should maintain the physiological curvature of the spine and protect the local area when turning over to prevent twisting.

3. Patients with lower limb tumors should avoid going to the ground to bear weight to prevent falls that may cause pathological fractures and aggravate pain.

4. For bedridden bone cancer patients, when the patient needs to be moved, avoid touching the tumor area.

Tips: What is the three-step pain relief medication?

The three-step medication principle for drug treatment was proposed by the World Health Organization and applied to cancer pain. The first-step analgesics are non-opioid preparations, such as aspirin, diclofenac, paracetamol, etc. The second-step analgesics are weak opioid preparations, such as codeine and chlorpheniramine. The third-step analgesics are strong opioid preparations, such as morphine and pethidine.