BACKGROUND: The effective management of cancer pain is one of the greatest challenges for GPs. OBJECTIVE: Pain management can be best achieved with a knowledge of the fundamentals of cancer pain and its assessment. A systematic and holistic approach to its treatment needs to be individualised for each patient, taking into account the relevant physical, psychological and spiritual factors. DISCUSSION: GPs are part of a team including oncologists, palliative care specialists, nursing services, paramedical staff, counsellors and clergy and so should know about and make use of the ever-improving support services which are available to ensure that insoluble pain problems are a rare occurrence.

Analgesics, Opioid↗

PubMed1996

Meditation in general practice.

Growing scientific evidence, clinical experience and community attitudes are encouraging a shift to more natural and holistic forms of therapy as alternatives or adjuncts to pharmacological approaches to a variety of conditions. Meditation and relaxation exercises have a wide range of applications but are especially useful in treating stress and related disorders. They are easily adapted to the general practice setting by adequately trained practitioners who have first hand experience of them. In this short article the practical and experiential aspects of such exercises are examined which, combined with examining the scientific evidence, provide a much more complete understanding of their potential uses and therapeutic effects.

Family Practice↗

PubMed1994

Making decisions and living by them.

Being asked to judge another doctor's behaviour is often tempting but more value is gained if it stimulates reassessment of our own actions. The author looks at how we come to make the choices we do.

Anger↗