What Non-Drug Methods Can I Use to Reduce Pain?

— -- Question:What non-drug methods may help to reduce sensations after an axillary lymph node dissection?

Answer: A non-drug treatment you can use for this kind of pain is capsaicin cream. Capsaicin cream is made from hot chili peppers, so think about that burning kind of sensation you get when you open up the pepper. The problem is, you have to put this on four times a day, and you have to stick with it for a couple months before you see any results. Some women are able to tolerate that, but for many women this is really tough to do. But it is another non-drug way to manage that kind of pain that has been shown to be effective.

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