Pain level 1 to 10?

[JerryC]

Is it just me, or does anyone else have a problem trying to figure out where on this scale your pain would belong?


Jerry

[chrischris]

Hi Jerry,

I used to hate hearing those words every time I walked into my Primary Doctors office, "How Do You Rate Your Pain Today?" and the tone of the nurses voice just made me cringe.

I started breaking down body parts, and that got her ticked at me, My neck 6, my shoulder 8, my upper arm 8, my forearm 4, my wrist 8, my hand 8, my fingers 10.

She would have to write all this down!

Anyway, at some point I realized I was being a butt head, so I started using the attached scale to better rate my pain. This subject comes up every now and again, so it's a good reminder.

Thanks for asking.

CLICK HERE FOR PAIN SCALE 1-10

[Lilly]

Chrischris,
Thx for posting that pain scale again. I was always understating my rate of pain as I had very extreme 10 vomit & passing out pain with my heart stuff or when I have angina attacks...so when I was ever asked ...I always understated my present pain on the 1-10 scale...as I always reffered to that 10 pain I sometimes experience. So when I'd say 5 to the MD...he thought I was good enough to go! When in fact according to this scale, I'm a 7-8 a majority of the time!
It's in my favorites now.
Thanks. Lilly

[Pooh]

Lilly

I agree that we do tend to underestimate our pain levels especially after we have dealt with it for a long time because we have become use to having the pain daily.

According to the scale that chrischris posted I am around a 6-7 constantly - I don't know what I would be without my pain meds I take daily but I don't think I would like to find out any time soon.

[collateraldamage5591]

Welcome Jerry, I do not have any great advice for you, but there are a lot of others on this site that are more than willing to help in any way possible. I've only been in the system a short time.
I really wish I had known the pain scale a few months ago. I could have given a number to th emergency room people instead of telling them it was "I begged my wife to bring me here" bad. I guess that would have been about a 9. Now it hovers between a 2 and 5.

[tweety00]

Collater Yes When A guy asks to go to the hospital they are hurting

Why dont guys like doctors , dentist , and any type of needles ?
Still think each guy should have a baby . Just my opinion

[chrischris]

I agree with you Tweety. By the time my husband agreed to go to the doctor for his "sore" back, he couldn't stand up and had to take itty bitty baby steps and use a cane so he wouldn't fall over.

We went to his doctor and he immediately sent us to a specialist 40 miles away. No waiting! They took us right in when we arrived and after 20 mins, the doctor had arranged for a surgery room and told us to go directly to the hospital. My husband had emergency surgery on his back, lumbar region. That was about 8 years ago now and he hasn't had any problems as a result of this, and rarely goes to the doctor. Men! Can't live with them, can't live without them.

P.S. It's a GOOD thing this wasn't WC, or he'd still be waiting.

[Bummer Knees]

My husband is one that only goes to the doctor once a year for bloodwork due to requirements by his life insurance policy.

Must be a "male thing"

[Pooh]

Bummer - at least you can get your husband to go to the doctor.

when drillers other shoulder was bothering him - it took me almost a year to convince him it was time to go and get at least an MRI done of it to make sure it wasn't the same stuff going on in that shoulder that happened in his right shoulder on WC (frozen shoulder). Thank goodness it wasn't and we did have health insurance.

Changed his diet around a little and no little or no problems with it. But even for his medications - his doctor has given him an open refill so no need to go and see him for refills......... lol

[lfoster21]

I was once told that your pain scale may not be the same as your Dr's. and I should create my own pain scale. This is really true, not only is the way I rate my pain possibly different from my numerous Drs. but also from other pain sufferers. For those of us who have been in pain for a long time, many have a higher tolerance to pain. What would make one person cry may be at a "5/6", but if a different person's pain tolerance is high, they may not start to cry until they are at an "8/9". So for a Dr. to have a generic pain scale that says a 7 is when you are at the point of tears...the h. tolerance person would think that since they weren't crying..they must be a "5/6" on the Drs. scale. Does that make sense to anyone

I did make my own scale and use it to describe my pain to my Dr. and I show him the scale that I am using. Instead of just the No. and a facial expression to go with it (like some of the Drs. /hosiptals have), my scale has 4 rows. The no. 1-10, a facial expression, several decriptive words or characteristics and below ea. of these I name an example of medication that I would need for that stage.

I always fax an outline of what I want to talk with the Dr. about, the day before my visits...I got into the habbit of typing/writing my outline on my pre-made letterhead paper. (The letterhead is actually my pain scale across the top of the page, which I copied numerous copies a while ago). Then when I go for an appnt. I take a copy of what I faxed, so we both have a copy and we both have the same understanding.

Here is an example of my pain scale...you can tweek it to your own scale, if you want.

1-No pain!
2-Uncomfortable, but livable. (Aleeve etc).
3-A definate pain, but livable. (Aleeve and Ice/heat)
4-Pain is now having an affect on lifestyle. (Tromadol)
5-Pain is now having an affect on life itself. (Tromadol and Tylanol)
6-A constant, uncontrollable pain (Percaset)
7-Heart palpitations, low grade feaver, cold sweats. (Oxycontin)
8-Can't hold back the tears. Can't move w/o agony. (Oxycontin and Pecoset for B/T pain.)
9-Crying, vomitting, laying in fetal position. (Morephine or dilaudid)
10-ER (can't take it anymore...get me to the ER) :0! (IV meds. needed.)

Sorry this was so long, but it helps me and I hope it can help others too.