How does cancer cause bone pain?
The form of cancer known as Bone metastases can cause bone pain (2). The pain can be caused by the metastasis stretching the cover of the bone (the periosteum), by the metastasis pressing on a nerve root, or by chemicals that the metastasis secretes into the area around it (1). In addition, the metastasis can press on muscles, causing reflex muscle spasm that pulls on the bone and can cause pain (1). Bone pain is often not just felt in the area of the bone metastasis (1). Cancer-related bone pain may have an aching quality or may burn with episodes of stabbing pain (1). Treating cancer-related bone pain directly Bone pain should be treated with appropriate analgesics (pain medication) (5). However, more can be done to reduce the pain. Cancer-related bone pain can be treated directly by targeting the metastasis alone or by treating the tumor and all its metastases. A common direct treatment for bone pain is radiation (1). Local radiation is used for single sites of pain (1). When there
