According to the American Cancer Society (2009) it is estimated that there will be 1.5 million new cases of cancer in the United States in 2009. Pain is a common symptom experienced by cancer patients throughout various stages of the disease process, as well as while undergoing cancer treatment. Research has found that between 30 and 45% of cancer patients report pain upon diagnosis or at some stage throughout the course of the disease, while 75% of patients with advanced cancer report suffering from pain. The pain experienced by cancer patients is often under treated. Unrelieved pain has negative effects on almost every aspect of an individual's life resulting in needless suffering, decreased quality of life, immunosuppression, and additional burdens on family caregivers. The under treatment of pain in cancer patients could be due in part to the fact that cancer pain is not always completely relieved by analgesic medications. Research is beginning to support the integration of complementary, nonpharmacologic, interventions for pain relief along with a traditional analgesic regimen in order to provide optimal management of pain in cancer patients. The purpose of this integrative review of literature is to examine the use and effectiveness of complementary therapies for the management of pain in cancer patients. Findings indicate that the majority of complementary therapies are effective in improving the pain experience among cancer patients. Recommendations for nursing practice, research, and education will be provided.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ucf.edu/oai:stars.library.ucf.edu:honorstheses1990-2015-1979 |
| Date | 01 January 2010 |
| Creators | Carden, Jennifer A. |
| Publisher | STARS |
| Source Sets | University of Central Florida |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Source | HIM 1990-2015 |
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