Everyday pain management ideas

Two childhood cancer survivors, both students at  Canada's Simon Fraser University, have developed a virtual reality game to help young cancer patients cope with the pain of their illness.  Known as " Farmoo ," the game was inspired by other computer games such as Farmville, this new game takes its user into a virtual reality farm. The innovators of the game will be putting their efforts to the test at British Columbia's Children's Hospital. It is designed for cancer patients aged 12 to 18, who can play the game with simple hand movements. The game also features a frame speed that minimizes the risk of dizziness, a common problem following chemotherapy treatment. Since both of the developers have experienced cancer diagnosis and treatment, they hope that their game concept will help its users to forget about their pain and the boredom of spending extended periods in a hospital bed.   You can read the original article by clicking here .  ...

Dr. Gary Jay, a pain management specialist based in Raleigh, NC area is discussing post-cancer pain management in the video you can find at this link. What he is saying is certainly food for thought; people who have been successfully treated for cancer can have lingering pain even though they are cancer free.  This may be due to damage caused by the cancer itself, or complications resulting from its treatment: post surgical pain, radiation damage, or chemotherapy-induced problems, such as neuropathy. Once cancer free, the patient is released from treatment by their oncology treatment team. But what about the after-effects of these dreadful diseases?  The best treatments are multi-modal in nature. They may include prescription drugs, but by incorporating healthy lifestyle habits into everyday life can do much to maximize pain relief. It's a good idea to slowly incorporate these changes into one's lifestyle; start with one thing, such as weight loss, healthier eating...