on a scale of 1-10? i hate that question

[diemyn]

Whenever I go to the doctor they ask me what level my pain is on, on that scale of 1-10. How do you guys rate your pain? I don't think a number sums it up at all.

here's what I go by

6 is when it hurts to move and continuing to do so will be bad for me, but i can move slowly and carefully and not often

7 is when i'm sitting still and the pain is still rising, so even breathing is too much movement

8 is when I'm trying to keep from crying and scared to death of moving cuz of how much pain it's gonna cause

9 is when I'm about to lose it; like i stop thinking and being a person and am just a thing in pain

10 is screaming and writhing in constant pain from any movement at all

and then there's 11, which I use to express the pain that skips 6-10 and it is just suddenly the most pain my body can experience and I am immediately screaming at the top of my lungs

wouldn't it be wise to give our docs our own description of what 1-10 means? I don't know what a normal person who doesn't scream in pain considers a 10, ya know?

what is the pain scale like for you? just outta curiosity =]

[lovemy6monkeys]

I hate that question too! After I give whatever number I feel my pain is, I also say "but, I had 6 natural childbirths, two of them were 9 and 10 pound babies, and my pain level during childbirth never went above a 4.5"

I'm glad to hear my pain level is only compared to myself!

~Jess

[diemyn]

Thanx for your contributions, guys and gals =D It's always interesting to hear how other people describe pain and how they experience it.

i think I'm glad that labor pain isn't etwas I'm gonna experience, geez

11 totally is "my soul is gone pain" and I do think that it's going somewhere. there has to be a purpose for it getting to that point.

<3 to you all

[Sailorsong]

The pain level is a joke. Sure they write it down but they don't address the issue at least at the VA. I will go to the VA in horrible pain and tell them it is an 8 or 9, but not once have they given me anything for pain in the ER. No other place I have gotten pain meds according to my pain level,

I've been living at a 6 pain level for so long that I can't remember what a 1 or 2 feels like. :)

Dennis

[Heather8]

LoL Thought I would give you my 11....  a 11 for me would be induced labor for 16 hours without any pain reliever and when I had my spinal tap done. I don't know which was more painful. That is to the point of not caring at all who I hurt and scream at . Vomiting and body fluids have no control. My soul is gone kinda pain.

My second daughter was natural (no induction or epidural)and was NOTHING compared to the pain of my first daughter being induced.

[Heather8]

My pain is usually about a 8 without pain relief . Some times it's a 9 but then I start to think about having to wait in the emergency room and they will probably just give me a epidural.
With pain relief it's about a 4. So it's cut in half.
A 10 to me is Emergency room.
A 9 is considering Emergency room.
8 is I am still sane and it hurts a lot. I can't move and I am starting to lose control of body fluids.
4. I can still feel the pain and if I didn't have percocet it might really get to me but my brain just doesn't care and I can go on with my day but the pain is always on my mind.

I've never fallen below a 4. At least not in 5 years.

[ashleyPT]

They ask you because associations that accredit institutions require them to.  It is never compared to anyone else, only compared to the person.  

A few years ago The Joint Commssion (JCAHO) was finding that patients weren't having their pain recorded in the hospital - and therefore it wasn't being addressed and controlled.

So now if there is no pain documented in a chart that's a big problem.  Unfortunately a 0-10 subjective scale is the easiest way.

[HVAC]

10 is torn knee ligament pain
9  is dry socket wisdom teeth pain
8  LP headache pain
7  almond size kidney stone pain
6  migraine headache with non stop vomiting pain
5  rupture ear drum pain
4  muscle spasm I have daily pain
3  head aches I have daily pain
2  elephant standing on my chest from asthma pain
1  sinus pain
1

[steph74]

I think, officially, the pain scales are not meant to be compared across people.  What's a 6 to one person could be a 3 to another.  The scales are meant to track your own personal pain and see if it's getting better or worse.

That said, a doctor's usually not going to offer you pain relief if your pain is a "2."  Also, if you're smiling and happy and you say your pain is an "8" they may also not take that seriously.  So I do think there's some combination of observation, together with your reported pain level, that guides treatment.

I like your description, though, of 6-10 (11).  :-)