Non-pharmacologic management of pain in the person with cancer

Management of pain in the person with cancer is a high priority in nursing. Although the actual incidence and severity is not well documented, pain may be experienced at some point by the majority of persons with cancer. Pharmacologic management, by itself, is often not adequate. Nurses must become familiar with non-pharmacologic interventions, to be used alone or in combination with analgesics, for the successful management of cancer pain. This paper discusses various non-pharmacologic options and includes a nursing protocol. More research is warranted to better define those most likely to benefit from these interventions.