Referred and radiating pain: Information for clinicians

This advice is sourced from Dr Ros Taylor a senior palliative physician

Referred pain- pain felt at site remote from site of painful stimulus

Radiating pain -pain felt at site of painful stimulus but spreads elsewhere

Q. What patterns of referred pain do you commonly see in palliative illness?

A. Frequently we see referred pain from spinal metastases causing sciatic pain down the leg.

Arm pain from brachial plexus involvement in breast and lung cancer is also very common.

Liver and gall badder pain refer to the right shoulder. 

Pain from pancreatic disease can be felt in the mid back, as well as the epigastrium.

Head and neck cancers often cause severe referred pain to the face and ear.

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Related Services

Palliative care advice lines

24 hour Advice Line Meadow House Hospice
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24 hour Advice Line Meadow House Hospice

T. 0208 967 5597

W. http://meadowhouse.lnwh.nhs.uk

Meadow House Hospice 24 hour telephone support line to the hospice ward offers support and advice on palliative care issues.

Community palliative care teams

Community Palliative Care Team - based at Meadow House Hospice
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Community Palliative Care Team - based at Meadow House Hospice

T. 020 8967 5179

W. https://www.lnwh.nhs.uk/meadow-house-hospice/#community-palliative-care-team

The Community Specialist Palliative Care Nurse Team provides advice and visiting to palliative care patients in Ealing and Hounslow. The team are based at Meadow House Hospice.

The team will visit patients with progressive life limiting illness in their own homes. They provide specialist advice around pain and symptom control and support for patients, their families, and carers during the last stages of illness. They also support patients wishing to die at home through coordination with GPs and hospital teams.

The team is comprised of medical consultants, specialist nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, social workers, a bereavement support officer and a patient and carer advocacy worker

The team can be contacted for referrals Monday to Friday 9.00am to 5.00pm.

Between Monday to Friday 5.00pm and 8.30am, the Out of Hours Telephone Advice line 020 8102 5000 takes calls. Weekends and Bank Holidays 5.00pm to 9.00am.

Referral form for clinician use only.

Community Specialist Palliative Care Referral Form V4.2 (DOCX)
District Nurses Night Service Hounslow
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Referrals to the night service can be made Monday to Sunday 5.00pm to 7.00am.

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