[(JD)]

It's always easier to understand another's pain if the same scale (or similar) is used. Pain is really subjective. Using a numerical guide adds objectivity. Here is one main one that many doctors use.

Pain Levels

0 - None

1 - 3 MILD nagging, annoying, little interference with daily living

4 - 6 MODERATE significant interfernce with daily living

7 - 10 SEVERE disability, unable to perform activitites of daily living

For children, elderly, and others who become confused easily, smilie faces are used. (Smiling, straight blah face, annoyed, sad, crying)


Some other descriptions of pain: (caution, may trigger some people)

aching, acute, burning, blinding, bright, choking, chronic, cramping, crushing, cutting, deep, dull, excruciating, exhausting, fleeting, gnawing, intense, intermittent, nagging, nauseating, numbing, oppressive, penetrating, piercing, pinching, pins and needles, pulsing, radiating, sore, searing, sharp, shooting, slight, stabbing, stinging, stitch, throbbing, transient, twinging, unbearable

For your doctor, also keep track of what time of day the pain begins (or worsens), what makes it worse,(weather, stretching etc) what helps it lessen,(ice, heat, stretching etc) how long it lasts (minutes, days) (does it flare and go away, gradually increases, peaks quickly but goes away slowly?)

Keeping a pain journal until you really know your pain will help.

Good wishes in your battle!

[Rhapsody]

Mine is usually a -
7 - 10 SEVERE disability, unable to perform activitites of daily living
(and) it can come at any time of the day or night, one never knows with RA - it just hits.

LoVe,
Rhapsody -

[(JD)]

Personally I have many reasons for my pain...all due to a disabling accident. I deal with CMP (chronic myofascial pain) myelopathy,(lesion from vertebrae chewing into the spinal nerve bundle) TMD, neuropathic pain, head migraines and opthamolgic migraines. (Thus I have both CNS (central nervous system) andd peripheral pain.)

For pain management I use ice,(ice packs, ice massages), cool swim, heat, (heating pad, hot tub, shower, heat/massage recliner, even a hair dryer when instant heat was needed!) a TENS unit (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulator- this scrambles the pain message from the nerve to the brain, so the brain never receives a complete message and won't realize the pain there), tennis balls (for pressure point work), stretching, meditation, trance, delta wave CD, infrared lamp, breathing/calming, splints,braces, tai chi, myoflex, lidoderm patches, zomig for migraines, orajel for gum pain, and the ongoing narcotic med. ANd of course, a call to my pain/stress management clinical psychologist.

I live with level 7 pain with good management, and break-through pain into level 10 and beyond. Quality of life is tough to find many days.

I have a service dog, who will be 15 soon. I need a motorized wheelchair and vehicle.

So now you know more about me... at least posted in one spot

[FaithisAlive]

I would rate my pain on the scale from 7 to 10 on an average... I too have severe cmp... ddd.. fibro.. thyroid disease.. herniated discs..scoilosis...tmj.. ibs... I know there is more.. but...

[Monty_girl]

My pain increases during the day. Most days it's between a 6 and 7. But there are days that even laying flat on my bed it's a 10 day.

I have the EDS-Hypermobility, IBS, TMJ ( goes with the EDS ) . I take Elavil for the IBS pain and Loratabs for the really bad days. I'm going to start some dental treatments next week to start having a crown made and do some other work. I'm worried about the TMJ. My jaw locks closed when I have a lot of work done and have to keep my jaw open.

[pooh_ac]

As a home health and hospice nurse we use these pain scales along with a pain "thermometer" it starts with green at the bottom and progresses through to red, along the side it has the 0-10 scale to help us document the pain. I have also noted some ppl dont realize how much pain they are in until I can help them relieve some of it, they dont reconize what has become normal to them, but the facial expressions, restlessness, increased pulse and bp all are clues

[bebop]

can you become so use to pain that it is hard to even scale it? I guess is it masking?

[(JD)]

IMO since pain is subjective, you could be using a different scale today than what you used years ago... depending upon whether your pain is worse overall or better. What is important is how YOU sense the pain. If it is intolerable, then why would you consider rating it according to an old scale or someone else's determination?

I think making yourself your own scale is a good thing! I heard a PT tell my mother that a level 7-8 is where you are crying. I didn't argue with him, because that's HIS idea lol. I've learned that crying makes my pain feel worse (and does make me worse because I tense and move differently when I cry.) But anyway, he had to have a scale to give the patient an idea of how to use one.

What do you think?

[pooh_ac]

Yes, I have seen many pts who swear they have not pain, or it is not bad, but they are guarding, pacing, frowning restless, I get them even small doses of meds and they think life is great, they just become "used" to the pain and have learned to just cope the best they can, it is sad that they have suffered for so long

[Perna]

</font><blockquote><div id="quote"><font class="small">Quote:</font>
_Sky said:
So now you know more about me... at least posted in one spot

</div></font></blockquote><font class="post"> Wow, Sky! Thanks for sharing.

[darkeyes]

Those face symbols for pain scale,crack me up,and I do not mean any disrespect to this post,you or the members here. I think for the one that displays worst pain (which my mom, with dementia) often points to,should also have a first point up, that's how some feel when the pain is overlooked by the nurse or doc,I'm sure, eh? Someone creative could post that scale here?
Sky, this is a great post, made me think of another picture scale for a GI problem I had in the past,may have been our water. That was very different and kind of gross,but we drop that.
That sounds like a great idea,the pain journal,so often the docs ask, "how long have you been having this pain?".
So having a personal record may help give the doc a better idea towards the DX or treatment plan.
Great post, good ideas

[Perna]

You talking about the Wong scale, darkeyes?

http://www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH...2087.html#wong

They are pretty funny.

[Leslie]

((((((((((((((((((everyone)))))))))))))))))

I just read this post about pain levels tonight. It is hard for me to talk about pain because I try very hard to hide it from my friends and family that care so much about me. I know they cant do anything. I like some of your ideas there Sky for pain relief, i will try a few of them. Sleeping with pain can be sooooooo hard sometimes. Sometimes find myself over medicating just to sleep. I care about all of you here and i wish i could take your pain away.

Leslie

[(JD)]

I think there's a difference between hiding pain from those around us, and responding and expecting others to respond to our pain, with respect to when to hide it and when not to. Boy, that didn't type out like I was thinking it

Constantly hiding all our pain really doesn't result in the responses we need and or want imo. True if we do nothing but mope and moan all day, that won't help anyone either, but to try and hide all of it fails to allow others to be part of our world, and in essence we are cut off from their world in a way.

Also when we hide our pain from others, they forget. We also then begin to build up frustration and anger towards others who don't understand. I think when it comes to others, out of sight, out of mind. They don't want to see us in pain, and if we completely hide it, they prefer to think we're just fine and act accordingly. It makes us upset (if we let it) that they begin to think we are fine and can do everything just like them etc etc.

Leslie, I wonder if it's really "over medicating" just to sleep, but perhaps medicating properly, even though it takes a bit more to help you sleep? Adjusting medication for activities and events is a good thing, imo. Not having to take the highest dose all the time is fine, imo. Good sleep (or the best we can get) is important to proper pain management.

TC!

[Leslie]

Dear Sky,

Thanks for your input on this subject. I read what you said carefully . I am glad we have a place here to share what works for each other to keep pain levels down. It is important with me because my blood pressure can get extreme when in pain.

Take care,
Leslie