Pain Scale or Pain Log

[Guest guest]

Hi all,

What's your opinion responding the pain scale and/or pain logs? I have had

my chronic pain disorder going on 14 years now, and I still don't understand

how I'm supposed to be able to track my pain. For example, regarding pain

scales: if I go to the doctor's office they tell me should I take a pain

pill before I come, so I can handle the treatment better, but yet I'm

expected to put on a scale of 1 to 10 my pain level...I'm like...am I

supposed to put what I would be at if I didn't take the pain pill, or what

I'm at with the pain pill? I feel like my pain level with the pain pill is

a lie since it's masking my pain and what doctors should keep records of are

the realities of where my pain really is. Also, my pain fluctuates

depending on the time, day, month, season...it's NEVER the same...it's NOT

predictable in any way.

So then, regarding pain logs, I feel like it wouldn't help if I only filled

out a pain log once a day or once a week because my pain levels change so

much throughout the day, and I can't remember every second of every day.

In fact, I have programmed my brain to completely forget how my body

feels...so unless I track my pain every half hour or hour, it wouldn't be

any help. And, if anyone read my earlier email on pain avoidance, you would

know that I do as much as I can to avoid the pain, which includes thinking

about or recognizing it. I can understand some people wanting to understand

their triggers better, but for me, it seems like everything is a

trigger...so why bother tracking? Or, things that are triggers, I can't

even remotely avoid...oh I don't know...like driving, typing on the

computer, brushing my hair or teeth, cleaning, vacuuming, etc., etc.

OK, just a bit frustrated by this. What are your experiences with doctors

and pain scales, or pain logs? What works for you?

Sincerely,

-Crystal in Northern Virginia