Complementary therapies are not a replacement for standard medical pain control methods.
They can work alongside conventional medicines to help control most types of cancer pain.
The main types of pain are: * dull, aching bone pain * sharp, tingling nerve pain * colicky, spasmodic gut or bladder pain Some pain may follow surgery or other cancer treatments.
Often more than one type of pain is present at the same time.
Which complementary therapies can help? Nutritional therapy Serotonin helps you fight pain, improves your mood and improves your sleep.
You can increase your serotonin levels by eating foods containing high levels of the amino acid tryptophan, for example chicken, cheddar cheese, eggs, halibut, peanuts or peanut butter.
You can decrease inflammation by eating oily fish (salmon, tuna, herring, mackerel, sardines) several times a week.
Cutting down on animal fats and cooking oils (other than olive oil, which is beneficial) may help decrease inflammation and pain.
Acupuncture works by releasing endorphins (the body's natural painkillers) and anti-inflammatory substances, and by easing muscle spasm.
Always consult a qualified practitioner.
TENS (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation) machines produce distracting impulses along the nerves, blocking pain.
Some hospitals use them.
If you are thinking of buying a TENS machine, it is important to try before you buy, as they are effective only for some people.
Exercise increases levels of serotonin and endorphins.
Aim for a varied exercise programme which raises your heart rate by 50%; exercise most days for 20-30 minutes for best effects.
Chronic pain may make you feel unable to exercise, but do as much as you can, building up slowly.
Massage works locally to distract your brain and nerves from the pain, but may also increase endorphin levels, reducing pain throughout your body.
Heat helps ease muscle spasm, while cold increases endorphin levels and decreases inflammation and muscle spasm.
Take care to protect your skin from damage.
Do not use heat or cold if you suffer from loss of sensation or have diabetes.
Several aromatherapy oils raise serotonin levels, helping you feel happy, relaxed and calm.
Try a few drops of lavender, camomile, marjoram or orange blossom oil in the bath, in a burner or mixed with almond oil and massaged into the skin.
Some oils can interact with drugs so check with your doctor first.
Reflexology involves applying pressure to zones of the feet to treat corresponding parts of the body.
Treatments can reduce tension in these treated areas and so reduce pain.
Reflexology is particularly good for inducing relaxation, and so can also help other methods of pain control to work more effectively.
Homeopathy can help chronic pain.
Chamomilla is calming and soothing while Arsenicum album is good for burning pain, especially when there is anxiety, agitation and weakness.
Colocynthis is the best choice for cramping pains, while Kali carbonicum is good for sharp, cutting, stabbing pains.
Rhus tox is helpful for muscle pain and Apis has anti-inflammatory effects.
Use 6c potency which you can buy in your pharmacy or healthfood shop, and suck one tablet every 2-4 hours, decreasing the frequency as the pain settles.
Remember to take the remedies at a different time from your other medicines and avoid brushing your teeth immediately before or after.
Herbs such as valerian, gotu cola and kava kava can help you to relax, decreasing pain.
Capsaicin, the active ingredient in chilli peppers, is available as a cream which gradually decreases pain.
It works best for nerve pain and post-radiotherapy pain.
It is only available on prescription so discuss it with your doctor.
Visualisation is a technique where you use your imagination to decrease pain or distract yourself from it.
It can help you transport yourself to a place beyond the pain, or you can visualise your body healing the pain.
Meditation involves sitting quietly and concentrating on your breathing or an object in front of you, while emptying your mind and relaxing.
Many patients have found meditation helps reduce chronic pain.
For best effects you need to meditate each day.
Although you can read about some of these therapies and try them safely yourself, it is usually better to start off with one or more consultations with a trained practitioner or in a class.
Always ask your doctor whether it is safe for you to try complementary therapies.