Rating Pain | Arthritis Information

Doctors need a pain scale that goes by if you can get out of bed etc.

I noticed lately that many people have a rating of 10 when it is like my 5-6 days.

How can a doctor determine how you are if everyone's rating of 1-10 is different?

My 10 is when i can't get out of bed, eat or go to the bathroom without help. You would think they need a better scale.

I agree. I'm not much of a complainer, so I think I even downplay my own pain level. Not sure why I do that

I just don't know.

Kind of like the question, "How long does the stiffness last in the morning?" I can never answer that one because I'm always somewhat stiff.

I hate when I go to the RD & they hand me a form to fill out every visit, telling how you have been feeling. Check this & check that.. I have a terrible time filling the darn thing out. I told the secretary that filling out this form is worse then seeing the Dr.

Why can't we just tell the RD how we feel & discuss that with him.

Trisha

trishasea38861.879525463

I agree it is too relative. But yesterday, I knew for sure I was at a 10 and I almost never rate myself that way. But I also rate higher than 5 on my scale.

Hmm... does that mean now I must make my 5 a 1 and my 10 a 5 -- oh, who started this question. It's too mind boggling -- or, I just have a boggled mind.

You're not supposed to agree with me on that.

Tonight, it's an 8 after Vicodine, after TENs all day.

Oh! I know what an 11 is.... it's when I wake up screaming in pain and am very happy I live alone so no one can hear me. I've done that a few times. Ouch!

Well the zero to 10 thing is actually broken down into no pain, hurts a little, hurts a little more, etc or they use the little smiley faces, or zero is no pain, 10 is the worst pain of your life. It is not totally effective because alot of people say 10 everytime. They can be playing around in the waiting room and talking and laughing and then say "10". Then there is me, rate my sons birth and a horrific migraine I once had as 10s, my daughters birth as a 9, and everything else fits into the 8 or below category. Strep throat when I couldnt swallow my own spit, 7. I rate most of my arthritis pain between a 2 and a 7. I guess I am kind of saving 8.By observing what I could and couldn't do while putting me through range of movement moves my rheumy definitely knew how much pain I was dealing with. For the most part drs. can't understand your pain because they don't feel it but by watching you attempt to move they get a definite idea as to how much pain you have and how it limits your ability to move.

I ran across this and thought I'd share. It tells us how evaluate our pain levels AFTER we take our meds. Hope this is helpful to you all. I have found this immensely helpful. I cary a copy of it with me

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Very Important: This is the pain level that is experienced AFTER taking the daily medication prescribed by your doctor.

0-Pain free

1-Very minor annoyance -mild aches to some parts of the body. No pain medication needed.

2-Minor annoyance- dull aches to some parts of the body. No pain medication needed.

3-Annoying enough to be distracting. Over-the-Counter pain relievers (such as Naproxen Sodium, Acetamonophen, or topical treatments such as Absorbine or Arthritis Pain relieving rubs) take care of it.

4-Can be ignored if you are really involved in your work, but still distracting. Over-the-Counter pain relievers remove pain for 3-4 hours.

5-Can't be ignored for more than 30 minutes. Over-the-Counter pain relievers help somewhat (bring pain level from 5 to a 3 or 4) with pain for 3-4 hours.

6-Can't be ignored for any length of time, but you can still go to work and participate in social activities. Stronger painkillers (such as Ultram) relieve pain for 3-4 hours.

7-Makes it difficult to concentrate, interferes with sleep. You can still function with effort. Stronger painkillers (such as Ultram) are only partially effective. (Stronger pain killers bring pain from a 7 to 4-6.)

8-Physical activity severely limited. You can read and converse with effort. Stronger pain killers (such as Ultram) are not effective. (Narcotic pain killers do bring this pain down to a level 3 or lower.)

9-Non functional for all practical purposes. Cannot concentrate. Physical activity halted. Panic sets in.(Narcotic Pain killers bring the pain level from 9 to the 4-6 level.)

10-Totally non-functional. Unable to speak. Crying our or moaning uncontrollably - near delirium.
kathy_in_wlsv,

Very good list. However, I must live in the 6-8 range all the time during the day and at 9-10 a lot of nights. Now, I'm discouraged.

Still a good list though.
I never get asked to rate my pain they ask me how Im doing if there is any impovement look at my joints and then look at the blood work. But I have had only three doctors appts. I go every 6wks.
Copyright ArthritisInsight.com