Many people assume that drugs or other treatments are the only way to control cancer pain. In fact, they are only one part of treatment. Sometimes the simplest ways of making you feel more comfortable are overlooked. There are a lot of things, on their own, or together with medical treatment, that you and other people can do to make you feel better.

The way you sit or lie down can affect your pain. What may feel comfortable at first may be painful 15 or 20 minutes later. Family or friends can help you to change position as often as you need. This will also reduce the risk of your skin becoming sore as a result of sitting or lying still in one position for long periods.

Bedding may need to be tidied or changed too. People feel a lot better when they get back into a cool bed with fresh bed linen. V-shaped pillows or supports can help reduce back and neck ache, and a bed cradle can keep the weight of blankets off weak limbs.

Your district nurse may be able to provide a special mattress and cushions. Other people from your care team, such as a physiotherapist or occupational therapist, can provide special equipment to help with movement and sitting.

Hot-water bottles and ice-packs can also help relieve pain. You should wrap them in a towel or piece of material, not put them directly on bare skin. You may find that they only work for short periods at a time. Alternating hot and cold may be more effective. Warm baths can relax muscles and help to relieve aches and pains.

Gentle massage can help relieve aching backs or limbs. By rubbing the painful area you will not only help to confuse the nerves sending pain messages to the brain, you will also help the muscles to relax. Unscented oils and lotions can also help to keep your skin soft and supple.

Do not rub areas that have recently had radiotherapy, and be careful if you have cancer in the bones, as even gentle rubbing on those areas may make the pain worse. If the number of platelets in your blood is low, you will be more likely to bruise. In this case, you may be advised not to have some types of massage until the number of platelets in your blood has increased.

Watching TV, reading, playing computer games, listening to music, or chatting to a friend will not make your pain go away, but it can help to distract your attention, at least for a time. Sitting in a chair or lying in bed with nothing to do can become depressing, and even short periods of entertainment can help you feel better and help you to cope better with your pain. Short, regular visits from friends and relatives are probably better than longer ones. They are less tiring, help to break up the day and are something to look forward to.

You may be anxious about your treatment or worried about coping at home. You may have financial problems. Often, friends or relatives can help by getting more information from doctors and nurses or finding out about services that can help. Sometimes there is little that they can say or do, but just being there to listen and understand can be enough.