Pain questionnaire

silverbreak

I was asked to fill out one of those rather daft (in my opinion) questionnaires the other day where you have to score the pain you feel etc from 1 to 10 with 10 being the worst pain youve ever experienced and 1 the least. Well I guess I'm too honest but I put down OA pains as a seven. This was an honest answer because compared to say a migraine or having a tooth drilled without an injection would rate higher at 9 or 10 in my book.
It's also a different kind of pain isn't it? Anyway on the basis of my answers I havn't been referred to a pain clinic by my GP. What a strange way to diagnose!! if only there was a pain meter like a blood pressure kit that they could just attach to an arm or leg.
Oh well moan over

How would others (truthfully) rate their pain from 1 to 10?

only49

silverbreak wrote:

I was asked to fill out one of those rather daft (in my opinion) questionnaires the other day where you have to score the pain you feel etc from 1 to 10 with 10 being the worst pain youve ever experienced and 1 the least. Well I guess I'm too honest but I put down OA pains as a seven. This was an honest answer because compared to say a migraine or having a tooth drilled without an injection would rate higher at 9 or 10 in my book.
It's also a different kind of pain isn't it? Anyway on the basis of my answers I havn't been referred to a pain clinic by my GP. What a strange way to diagnose!! if only there was a pain meter like a blood pressure kit that they could just attach to an arm or leg.
Oh well moan over

How would others (truthfully) rate their pain from 1 to 10?

hi silverbreak i think i would put mine down as a 4 today, but yesterday as i over done things i would have put it down as a 8-9 and when it gets to that only heat stops it, pain meds dont work, other thing works is laying flat out in bed.

bubbles

I had the same forms to complete, way back, when I was seen by the physio's. I cannot really remember what I put, I think 8 was the highest. As you say, it is a daft form and tells you nothing about how the person is feeling. There are a lot more things that go alongside pain, than just a rating of 1 to 10.
The physio did say to me once, that you become over sensitive to the pain and went droning on about anticipated pain...........in the end I said, "look, the pain is very real, very acute at times, is wearing, depressing and stops me living what I would call a normal life, it is not in my head, it is in my back, neck, knees, arms, so don't try and tell me I am imagining all this"
I would like to go back to her and show her the recent results of the x-rays, that would shut her up good and proper. Yes love, bone on bone is a tad painful :!:

skezier

Hi Silverbreak,

Its a bit odd the gp doing it since well gp's don't seem to understand pain at all well at the best of times. I would say at a 7 you would benefit from the pain clinic and it might be worth asking outright why since they are not controlling the pin too well they wont send you to see people who can..... Its worth running with it a bit and ask what they plan to do to help with your pain then. I hoe you can get some help. Good luck. Cris x

speedalong

Hi, I agree with Cris.

Since rating your pain at 7, what has the GP offered you to get the pain down to more acceptable levels? If nothing (or what has been offered isn't working) you need to go back and say 7 is unbearable to live with and what is he going to offer you next? And, if/when he can't then say since he is at a loss - maybe the pain clinic would be able to help (since that is what they specialise in - don't say that bit!) Alternatively go back and say the pain is getting worse .... and that it has gone up the scale - and get him to refer you that way.

The problem with pain is no one can see it, but by *** we feel it!!

Speedy

caprica

Sorry to hear you've been brushed off like that!

I think the whole idea of 1 to 10 is so stupid. Everyone's 1 to 10 will be different.

I've never experienced particularly terrible pain, I've not given birth or broken a bone or had any dental work. So to me, mild arthritis pain is bad because I have nothing to compare it with - it's the worst thing i've experienced. But I'm very aware that it's not actually THAT painful in comparison to severe arthritis, or childbirth or whatever. So what would I have to rate it on 1 to 10? Yes it's the worst I've ever experienced but it's by no means a 'oh my god I can't stand it 10'.

Just stupid. They should just ask you how you feel and if the pain is stopping you from doing what you want/need to do.

I hope you get some decent pain control! Good luck!!

patriciamary

Hi silverbreak. I think I would be pushing the doc for the referral to the pain clinic anyway. On a scale of 1 to 10 surely 7 to 10 should be considered extreme. There should be some way of blasting GPs with pain (just once) so they would have an understanding of how we feel. I personally have a very high pain threshold. When my youngest daughter was born due to complications she was attached to several monitors while still in the womb. The monitors would suddenly start beeping etc and the midwife kept saying "oh that was a bad one" meaning the pain of the contraction. I eventually had to tell her to keep quite because she was disturbing me while I was reading a very good book. Your pain 7 could be someone elses 10 or 4 so get back to your GP and give him a headache till he refers you. Best of luck.
Regards
Trisha

jaspercat

Hi Silverbreak, I have to feel in one of those forms every year, it is all a bit silly, one of the questions is "would you feel better off if you died", I would never say yes to that, at the worst time I would put my pain around 7, luckily I have Tramadol which soon sorts the pain out love Jaspercatxx

frogmorton

Crikey Silverbeak :shock:

7 is a lot in my opinion :roll:

When I had my back op (in fact at the point when my back 'went')

It was 10 - unbearable.

So 7 is not unbearable maybe, but still Bl**dy awful!

3/4 is the stuff you can try to ignore

5/6 is horrible and hard to cope with

7 is awful

8 would make me cry

9 would make me cry and be ubable to think of anything else

You should be given that referral.

the GP has his own scale too

hE doesn't knwo what your 7 is :x

I hope you are able to get your referral

Love and good luck

Toni xx

woodbon

Hi,, I find those things silly, for one thing pain is not something you score, like say a darts match or scrabble! It changes its character, depending on the circumstances. Like if you are sitting in a room with nothing to do, the pain will seem worse than if you are concentrating on something important. I know myself that I have been able to lift someone that normally I could'nt move and give myself intense pain which I only notice later, because at the time I have to use myself or let someone come to severe pain or injury.

I suppose some idea of how you percieve your pain is apparant, but its hard to be accurate, I tend to forget the very worst of pain, I know I've had it but I could'nt rate it.
Love Sue

silverbreak

woodbon wrote:

I suppose some idea of how you percieve your pain is apparant, but its hard to be accurate, I tend to forget the very worst of pain, I know I've had it but I could'nt rate it.
Love Sue

yes thats the point really isn't it? thanks everyone for input. My GP is known for his sarcasm/sense of humour. After a recent visit his passing shot was 'don't hesitate to come back any time you get a little twinge -We're always here'.
Don't suppose there is anyway of bypassing him is there? short of moving practice.

woodbon

Hi, He sounds a a bit much. I think thats going far to far outside the exceptable humour and into plain rudeness. A pity you can't see someone else, a remark like that is unprefesssional. I suppose you could ask him what he means by a remark like that, but its always easy to think of something after the event than at the time, also is it worth the upset you may feel if he takes it badly.

If you do feel like taking matters further, then I think the first thing is to write to the practice manager. Good luck whatever.

Love Suexxx