How to take care of liver cancer pain? 4 tips to effectively relieve liver cancer pain

Liver cancer pain is one of the most common symptoms of advanced liver cancer, which seriously affects the quality of life of cancer patients. It can be said that most patients with advanced liver cancer eventually exhaust their physical strength due to pain. So, how should liver cancer patients be cared for in their daily lives?

How to care for liver cancer pain? You should first clarify the cause of the pain. Cancer usually does not cause pain in the early stages. The main reasons for cancer pain in the middle and late stages of the tumor are as follows:

1. In the late stage of liver cancer, normal tissues will be destroyed and infiltrated by tumors, causing compression and destruction of nearby nerve roots, ischemic necrosis of local tissues, obstruction of blood return, and infiltration of bones and periosteum, all of which may cause pain.

2. Malignant liver cancer tumors show invasive growth, not only growing and expanding at the primary site, but also spreading directly to adjacent tissues, invading adjacent tissues and organs, destroying their structure and function, and causing pain in multiple parts of the body or even systemic pain.

3. Surgical treatment and radiotherapy may also cause new pain areas or form new pain sources.

4. The patient develops inflammation or fever, which increases the body's consumption, until eventually developing severe anemia, weight loss, metabolic disorders, and cachexia. These factors can aggravate the pain.

How to care for liver cancer pain? Specific methods are explained:

1. Surface analgesia

The purpose of pain relief can be achieved by stimulating the skin around the painful area or the corresponding healthy side. The stimulation methods can be massage, applying cooling analgesics, etc., or various temperatures of stimulation, or using a 65℃ hot water bottle on a wet towel for local hot compress, each time for 20 minutes, which can achieve a certain pain relief effect.

2. Attention diversion pain relief method

According to the patient's hobbies, some fast-paced music can be played, and the patient can clap along with the rhythm while appreciating it; or the patient can be asked to read some jokes, humorous novels, or tell a crosstalk for fun. The patient can also be asked to sit in a comfortable chair, close his eyes, and think about his childhood fun, or think about anything he wants to think about, for 15 minutes each time, usually 2 hours after eating, and then close his eyes and sit quietly for 2 minutes, all of which can achieve the purpose of diversion and pain relief.

3. Relaxation and pain relief

Relaxing the whole body can make people feel light and happy, and muscle relaxation can block pain reactions. You can ask the patient to close his eyes, sigh, burp, and then bend his hips and knees to lie flat, relax his abdominal muscles and back muscles, and breathe slowly. Or ask the patient to close his eyes in a quiet environment and breathe in and out deeply and slowly, so that fresh air can enter the lungs to achieve the purpose of pain relief.

4. Drug analgesia

The first stage of analgesia is to start with non-opioid analgesics. If the pain is not relieved, weak opioid analgesics are added. If the pain is severe, strong opioid analgesics can be used.

In addition, the diet should also be coordinated. Choose light, high-protein, low-fat, non-irritating and easily digestible food. Do not overeat, eat small meals frequently. Keep bowel movements smooth and reduce abdominal distension to avoid inducing pain. The above is the specific knowledge on how to care for liver cancer pain. I hope this article can bring some help to patients who are suffering from liver cancer pain.