Management of chronic pain control in cancer Essay

Management of chronic pain control in cancer - Essay Example In one year more than 500 people in 100,000 will be diagnosed with cancer within the United Kingdom (Cancer Research UK, 2012). The same site states that the survival rate for all cancers has now reached 50%, with some types having a very high 5 year survival rate of 95% and with women generally having a higher survival rate than men. Treatment will have included such things as surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy, all of which play their part in either removing or destroying cancer cells. Such treatment though has its costs and it is a normal experience to have some pain after cancer surgery. Most of this will fade after time, but in some cases pain can persist for months or years, especially if nerves are damaged. After radiation therapy there may be pain which eventually resolves. In some cases though pain can develop a long way down the line. Chemotherapy can also result in pain and numbness. Some people may also find that they are liable to migraines, low back pain and other t ypes of pain ( Cancer.net, 2012). All of these pains require treatment, but often patients are worried about taking large amounts of analgesics, and may not reveal the extent of their problems. Fullen et al( 2006) point within schools of both medicine and nursing the amount of time spent teaching students about pain relief varies considerably, which will contribute to a patchy service when it comes to pain relief, simply because of inadequate training in some areas. This in turn means that more patients suffer to a greater extent than they need do, and also increase time off work and in hospital, at great cost to themselves and to the country’s health service., Chronic pain has been defined as† having pain on a daily basis for more than six months† (Fullen et al, 2006). Cancer is a term used for more than one hundred diseases in which abnormal cells divide uncontrollably and invade surrounding tissues as well as spreading to other parts of the body through such me ans as the lymphatic and circulatory systems. It affects both organs and mechanisms. This multiplicity of possibilities requires very individualised treatment at every stage from diagnosis on through treatment and into survivorship. The Alliance for Cervical Cancer Prevention (2004) describes how a diagnosis can mean a person feels isolated, anxious, angry and depressed. It might well be assumed that once a cure has been achieved all this could be put behind them, but persistent pain is a very real issue in many cases, as could be psychological issues. Some will feel exalted that they have survived such a major threat, but others may continue to see themselves as a victim, especially if there are long term physical differences, as for example if there is the need for a permanent colostomy, or a man becomes impotent. Within the United Kingdom in 2012 it was declared that treatment for cancer is becoming ever more successful (Department of Health, 2012). The cure is not always the fin al end of pain however. The patient and his family have had to deal with the shock of diagnosis, the progress of the disease and then the joy of the

Sports in canada Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Sports in canada - Essay Example The most common sporting events are ice hockey, soccer, basketball, Canadian football and lacrosse. Sporting activities in Canada serve as a unifying factor for its people who come from different backgrounds of diverse cultures and traditions. This diversity sometimes acts as grounds for disunity and discord amongst the citizenry, and it has been found out that Sport breaks through all these invisible barriers erected by people between each other. Canadian sports are characterized by having a rich history and strong national values are attached to some sports activities. This is a discussion about the significance of Canadian sports and the different roles and purposes it plays in Canadian society. Canada was home to Native Americans who are referred to as Indians, and they are the aboriginal inhabitants of Canada. The aboriginals used sporting activities to strength and foster strong inter-clan relations that were vital for their survival and general wellbeing. Sporting activities i nitially developed from people’s daily chores, and as new ways of doing things developed, older ways of doing things was done just for leisure and amusement. Just like other people from different civilizations, Canadian aboriginals used sports to practice their survival skills. ... porting activities that can accredited to the Native Americans are lacrosse, archery, toboggan, canoe races and spear throwing which was later converted to javelin throwing (Morrow & Wamsley 98). In the early development of sports, in the ‘First Nation’ as some people call Canada was faced with a couple of challenges like exploitation, ethnocentric distortion and racism (Canadian Encyclopedia ). This was especially rampart in the minority groups including black and Native Americans. These minority groups were initially not allowed to participate in the same events as white Europeans by virtue of their skin color and racial background (Canadian Encyclopedia). This has been overcome through various legislative and policy changes in the laws and regulations governing sporting activities in the country. Over time, this has contributed to significant changes in the way sport is perceived by members of the Canadian society. The sporting tradition in Canada helped encourage and foster national cohesion amongst its people especially between the Native Americans and the occupying Europeans. Sports enabled these two groups to interact on an equal platform where there were no restrictions or boundaries separating them. In modern times, sports in Canada have evolved to become a way of life for some of the more than a million Canadians who play games like ice hockey as part of their a lifestyle. Canadian sport is characterized having two seasons for sport because of the climate in the region. Canada experiences snowfall for the better part of the year thus necessitating the development and adaptation of sporting activities that are suitable to these conditions. A good example of such a sport is ice hockey which is synonymous with Canada all over the world (Morrow & Wamsley