Palliative care is for people with serious illnesses. The goal of palliative care is to ease pain and other physical, emotional and psychosocial symptoms related to the illness. Palliative care focuses on improving the person’s quality of life.

Pain management is a vital component of palliative care. In addition to pain-relieving medicines, palliative pain management may include referrals to therapies, such as music therapy, massage therapy, relaxation techniques and acupuncture.

Palliative care teams work together to help chronically ill patients cope with extreme tiredness and improve daily function. These specialists can provide comforting emotional support and spiritual guidance. They can even help patients navigate the health care system, a task that may cause anxiety for some.