Pain is a sensation that can be mildly uncomfortable or excruciatingly unbearable, depending on the individual who is in pain and the cause of the discomfort. Pain is subjective, making it difficult for people to explain to a doctor exactly how or where they hurt. Keeping a diary of symptoms and descriptive words may make discussing your pain with a doctor a little easier.
Step 1
Start a journal in which you write down thoughts about your pain. Keep notes that include the time, body location and duration of your discomfort. Jot down information that may be related, such as what you were doing when you experienced the pain or foods that you ate prior to the pain. Information on your end can facilitate a productive conversation with your doctor.
Step 2
Think about the words you use to describe pain. According to the Mayo Clinic, many people use descriptive terms such as "tingling," "stabbing," "jabbing," "throbbing" and "stinging." If these words are appropriate to the sensations you are feeling, write them down in your pain journal so you can be able to fully describe your experience to your physician. Any descriptive language you can use can be helpful to your doctor.
Step 3
Familiarize yourself with the comparative pain scale, a scale used by many medical establishments to determine the level of pain that you are feeling. The scale begins with 0, which means no pain. The middle of the scale, at 5, generally means moderate pain. The upper limit of the scale, or 10, describes the worst pain you can imagine feeling. Thinking about your discomfort in these terms may help your doctor understand your predicament more fully.
Step 4
Try to separate the emotional experience of suffering from chronic pain from the physical sensation itself when speaking to your doctor. Chronic pain can be emotionally upsetting, a normal reaction, but bringing emotions into the conversation about a physical problem may make diagnosis more difficult for your physician, according to CNN Health. Explain your situation in terms of what your pain is not allowing you do to in your life. Your doctor can first treat the physical issue and subsequently treat the emotional effects as needed.
Tips and Warnings
- Make sure you have a doctor who is a good listener. If your doctor does not pay full attention to you as you describe your pain and its effects on your life, you may need look for a new medical care provider.
Things You'll Need
- Journal
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