Radiation therapy is regularly used to treat cancer and other conditions in the body effectively, but exposure to the radiation can cause internal scarring on the body called adhesions. They can cause severe pain, and they can act as a glue and stick to nearby muscles, bones or organs causing further dysfunction, according to pain treatment website Clearpassage.com. Radiation may also cause fibrosis, which can result in long-term pain lasting from six months to several years after the initial treatment.
Medication
Depending on the type of cancer treated with radiation, different parts of the body may be affected by radiation-induced pain. Over-the-counter pain relievers such as ibuprofen may help to take the edge off of mild pain associated with post-radiation. According to the National Institutes of Health, a drug called dexamethasone is effective in treating pain caused by radiotherapy used in treating bone metastases (cancer that has spread to the bones). Dexamethasone is a prescription steroid that helps prevent inflammation. According to the Minnesota Board of Medical Practice, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) or a low-dose narcotic with aspirin or acetaminophen (such as Tylenol 3 or Percodan) can be useful in treating mild to moderate pain, but it may not be strong enough for more serious cases. With severe pain, stronger opiates such as morphine may be necessary.
Local Anesthetic
A celiac plexus block or a stellate ganglion block may be used to treat radiation-induced pain. These are injections of a local anesthetic near the painful part of the body, according to the Minnesota Board of Medical Practice. These injections stop pain quickly, but their effects are only temporary and are meant to provide relief while other analgesic medication is determined. These injections may also accompany electrical nerve stimulation.
Manual Therapy
Advanced physical therapy techniques are sometimes used to relieve radiation-induced pain. Clear Passage therapies are one example of this manual therapy designed to provide relief in a drug free way. Their Clear Passage therapy, for example, is a type of massage therapy that is designed to relieve the specific pain caused by cancer treatments of women in the abdomen and pelvic areas. The therapist uses his hands to gently decrease adhesions and therefore reduce the tugging on internal organs, muscles and nerves that cause the discomfort.
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