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Your Pain Management Workbook & Assessment Guide
Good communication will help you, your health care team and your loved ones in managing your pain. Here are some tools that you can use to learn how to describe your pain and be clear about your needs. It will also help you see what steps work best to provide relief. To request a pain management diary or a pain scale, please call 1-800-833-3533 or click here.
The First Step: Self-Assessment
Ask yourself the following questions before you call or meet with your health care professional. Your answers will help you give a clear description of the kind of pain you feel.
- Where do I feel pain?
- How bad is the pain?
- What does the pain feel like (aching, burning, throbbing, other sensations)?
- Has the pain changed over time? How?
- What makes the pain better or worse?
- What effect has the pain had on my ability to sleep?
- What effect has the pain had on my appetite?
- How has the pain prevented movement or mobility?
Using a Pain Scale and a Pain Diary
The examples that follow will help you make notes that you can share with your doctor. This will help you use your self-assessment questions to create a "map" of how your pain is affecting you. You can also make your own chart based on your own needs.
It will also help to write down questions that you want to ask about your treatment or your pain at your next appointment. Keep a small notebook with pen or pencil handy for this purpose.
Example - Pain Scale
Track your level of pain at about the same time, once or more often each day. Sometimes pain has patterns, such as becoming worse at night. It is important for your doctor to know this.
Example - Pain Diary
"Day 1" can be any day of the week that you begin recording your observations. The example below shows how you might make notes for your own use.
When to Call for Help
You should tell your health care provider if pain is keeping you from
eating or sleeping. Any sudden pain, or pain that becomes worse even if
you take your medicine, is a sign that you should call your doctor right
away.
