Approach with mind-body awareness for myofascial pain in cancer patients

Abstract

  Behavior therapy is recommended to acquire self-management of cancer pain, which is a psychosocial approach to pain of cancer patients. It can reduce patient anxiety for cancer by separation of manageable cancer pain from other cancer symptoms. This is also the approach to regenerate patient’s positive power for willingness for living. Myofascial pain is seen in approximately 30% of advanced cancer patients who complain cancer pain, and the pain is thought to be influenced by psychological factors. However, it is difficult to make cancer patients suffering from intractable pain understood their pathological conditions. In our hospital, we have been working on improvement of cancer patient’s awareness of changes in their physical and mental conditions, which enables patients to understand changes in their conditions within short time. For instance, in cases of myofascial pain, visual awareness is introduced by ultrasound imaging, and experiencing awareness is introduced by hypnosis.