Chronic Pain Support Group

Physicians and professionalsdefine pain as chronic if it lasts longer than three to six months and is persistent. It's distinct from acute pain that is a direct result of injury or trauma. This support group is dedicated to those suffering from chronic pain. Discuss treatments that have worked for you, find advice for your specific experience, and find support. You're not...

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Brain & Nervous System
/ Chronic Pain Support Group

Pain Scales

jnufish
jnufish
Hi all, just wondering what pain scales you use? I have an app on my phone called "My pain diary" and it comes with a pain scale, which is handy. I can print a report from it and give to my Dr. and it shows the pain scale on it, so we are both on the same page. However, I've noticed that the hospital uses a different pain scale, and my neurologist uses a different one from that. Talk about confusing!!

My pain diary pain scale has a zero for no pain and a 10 is delirious or unconscious.

Any thoughts?

Take care, wishing everyone a low pain or zero day!!
Jnufish
billwfriend
billwfriend
I do not use anything other than words when using the 1-10 pain scale...and I consider 10 I should be dead now... most of my pain limit is never over 7....very rare it goes over that....but I dunno whose pain scale I am using it is my own....seven is severe pain needing pain medication to help enough to be able to function....
MeganElaine
MeganElaine
I'm a big fan of functional pain scales in general. I think that it's good to have some sort of behavioral reference point to help quantify pain. I use the Mankoski pain scale. It was developed for acute pain, but it's a really good descriptive pain chart.

0: Pain Free
1: Very minor annoyance - occasional minor twinges.
2: Minor annoyance - occasional strong twinges.
3: Annoying enough to be distracting
4: Can be ignored if you are really involved in your work, but still distracting.
5: Can't be ignored for more than 30 minutes.
6: Can't be ignored for any length of time, but you can still go to work and participate in social activities.
7: Makes it difficult to concentrate, interferes with sleep. You can still function with effort.
8: Physical activity severely limited. You can read and converse with effort. Nausea and dizziness set in as factors of pain.
9: Unable to speak. Crying out or moaning uncontrollably - near delirium.
10: Unconscious. Pain makes you pass out.

I adjust the scale a little by allowing for decimal measurements, 'cause I feel like a 10 point system just isn't specific enough. I spend a lot of time at 6.5, where I'm still functional enough to participate in some social events, but in enough pain that it's impossible to concentrate. Also, for me personally, unconscious isn't a 10, because I go into vasovagal syncope pretty easily. I probably pass out around 9.25
ItsJustMe2012
ItsJustMe2012
Im not good with the pain scale. I tell my Dr the things I.can and can't do regarding the pain.
billwfriend
billwfriend
meganelaine that is the scale I have seen here at DS chronic pain before...I was pretty close with my 10 and 7 descriptions...
Jonsparky
Jonsparky
I have posted this blog before, but here it is again, she describes the different levels of pain very well in her chart.
https://workthedream.wordpress.com/2011/12/16/how-to-use-a-pain-scale-chart/
oldcper
oldcper
Most Dr.'s and Hospitals in the U.S. use a "Wong Baker Faces" pain scale. This works for both Adults and children as it has faces below the numbers to that children can point to the face that corresponds to the number to show what stage of pain he is in.
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