Speaking of Pain: How to Help Your Doctor Help You

[Guest guest]

From the Hospital for Special Surgery, " Speaking of Pain: How to Help

Your Doctor Help You " :

http://rheumatology.hss.edu/pat/eduPrograms/livingRA/speakingPain.asp

I'll tell you where to go!

Mayo Clinic in Rochester

http://www.mayoclinic.org/rochester

s Hopkins Medicine

http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org

[Guest guest]

,

Interesting article. We were discussing the " 1-10 " pain scale in the

pain support group I attend here in town. We all felt that in

addition to that, doctors might add the question " how is the pain

affecting your daily life? " because so many of us have different

kinds of pain in different areas, it's often difficult to scale it.

For example the pain in my left hip might be a 10, right hip a 4, but

the nerve pain from the lipomas may be firing off at about a 14 this

morning, whereas last night it was quiet.

Patty has severe back pain, but her pain is mostly at night when she

lies down, so by the time she is at the doctor, it's usually a 3-4--

she says they rarely give her the chance to get to the part about the

night time pain!

Judi

[Guest guest]

My mother's doctor said she wasn't acting like a 9 on the pain scale but I do

know at times it's probably more than a 10. I would suggest anyone going to the

doctor to start by telling them at times it is a 10, but right now a 4.

Becky

[ ] Re: Speaking of Pain: How to Help Your Doctor Help You

,

Interesting article. We were discussing the " 1-10 " pain scale in the

pain support group I attend here in town. We all felt that in

addition to that, doctors might add the question " how is the pain

affecting your daily life? " because so many of us have different

kinds of pain in different areas, it's often difficult to scale it.

For example the pain in my left hip might be a 10, right hip a 4, but

the nerve pain from the lipomas may be firing off at about a 14 this

morning, whereas last night it was quiet.

Patty has severe back pain, but her pain is mostly at night when she

lies down, so by the time she is at the doctor, it's usually a 3-4--

she says they rarely give her the chance to get to the part about the

night time pain!

Judi

[Guest guest]

Judi,

I suppose I'm going to disagree with you, while at the same time agreeing.

When I go to see a Dr., usually the nurse comes in first to take vitals, and

also asks why I'm there.

I think it's MY responsibility to let her know what my pain level is, if

it's gotten worse, for how long, and how it's affecting my life. That doesn't

need to be a lengthy speech. But we do have a responsibility to communicate to

our health professioanls what the problem is that we are seeking help for.

So I might say, " My left wrist and right ankle are swollen, and the pain

level is about an 8. It came on rather suddenly a few hours ago, and I didn't

do anything noticeable to cause it. It's really limiting the mobility in both

areas. "

From this point, it's up to the Dr. to ask the necessary questions he needs

to know in order to be able to diagnose and treat.

So Patty would say " I've been having severe back pain, about a 9 on my pain

scale, but only at night. During the day, it's about a 4. The pain is worse

when I lay down. "

It seems to me that this is what WE should be doing!

Dix

[ ] Re: Speaking of Pain: How to Help Your Doctor Help You

,

Interesting article. We were discussing the " 1-10 " pain scale in the

pain support group I attend here in town. We all felt that in

addition to that, doctors might add the question " how is the pain

affecting your daily life? " because so many of us have different

kinds of pain in different areas, it's often difficult to scale it.

For example the pain in my left hip might be a 10, right hip a 4, but

the nerve pain from the lipomas may be firing off at about a 14 this

morning, whereas last night it was quiet.

Patty has severe back pain, but her pain is mostly at night when she

lies down, so by the time she is at the doctor, it's usually a 3-4--

she says they rarely give her the chance to get to the part about the

night time pain!

Judi

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 07/08/2004 10:49:06 Central Standard Time,

natesmom4@... writes:

> My mother's doctor said she wasn't acting like a 9 on the pain scale but

Any health care professional who says that doesn't know what they are doing.

We all learn a person's pain is what they say it is, no matter how they act.

Some people moan in pain, others do things to distract themselves. I would

be wary of someone who said this to me. Cary

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 09/08/2004 14:28:50 Central Standard Time,

dix7chix@... writes:

>

> Cary,

> Tell your Mom that there isn't a generic pain scale - although doctors

> like to think there is. Pain scales are relative - that is, YOUR pain scale

> is YOUR pain scale, and your Mom's pain scale is HER pain scale.

> The best thing she can do is to write up her pain scale, and give her

> Dr. a copy.

> I'll try to find a copy of either mine or another good one she could use

> as an example to make up hers.

> Dix

>

Dix-

I was answering a post-it wasn't my mother. My response was that the MD

didn't know what he was doing. As a nurse, I wouldn't agree with that and I

have

plenty of pain scales already. Thanks. Cary

[Guest guest]

I agree with you. He was a jerk and I will not let her go back there. That was

the doctor that would not give her the injection for the pain in her back until

she went to the heart doctor. But, I must admit, he was right, she was having

heart problems and that was how she felt the pain. I don't know if he was

trying to scare her into doing something and he made her quit driving. He

actually did was I was trying to do for a long time. I never met him before

that so I'm not sure what he is normally like.

Becky

Re: [ ] Re: Speaking of Pain: How to Help Your Doctor Help

You

In a message dated 07/08/2004 10:49:06 Central Standard Time,

natesmom4@... writes:

> My mother's doctor said she wasn't acting like a 9 on the pain scale but

Any health care professional who says that doesn't know what they are doing.

We all learn a person's pain is what they say it is, no matter how they act.

Some people moan in pain, others do things to distract themselves. I would

be wary of someone who said this to me. Cary

[Guest guest]

Cary,

Tell your Mom that there isn't a generic pain scale - although doctors like

to think there is. Pain scales are relative - that is, YOUR pain scale is YOUR

pain scale, and your Mom's pain scale is HER pain scale.

The best thing she can do is to write up her pain scale, and give her Dr. a

copy.

I'll try to find a copy of either mine or another good one she could use as

an example to make up hers.

Dix

Re: [ ] Re: Speaking of Pain: How to Help Your Doctor Help

You

In a message dated 07/08/2004 10:49:06 Central Standard Time,

natesmom4@... writes:

> My mother's doctor said she wasn't acting like a 9 on the pain scale but

Any health care professional who says that doesn't know what they are doing.

We all learn a person's pain is what they say it is, no matter how they act.

Some people moan in pain, others do things to distract themselves. I would

be wary of someone who said this to me. Cary