On a scale of 1-10 how bad is that pain? Is it really an “ll”?
Pain or at least a certain degree of discomfort becomes a way of life for many seniors? They beseech their doctors to do “something” to make them feel better.
Doctors and researchers alike know that such a request is challenging to say the least, because every person experiences pain differently.
A recent article by Amy Dockser Marcus (Wall Street Journal-Tuesday, March 31, 2015) outlined a new scale. . The questionnaire evaluates how pain affects the ability to function on a daily basis. Instead of asking you to rate your pain on a numerical (1-10 basis) it will asks a series of questions. How would you respond to the question: In the last week how many times did pain prevent you from getting up to face your day? Were you able to get dressed, brush your teeth, prepare a meal, do household chores, go shopping or drive your car?
The questions made me think about the last time I went to the doctor complaining of pain. I told him my pain was maybe a 7, which at times it might have been, but was it really? I had been able to get up, hobble to the kitchen to make coffee, get dressed and drive to the doctor’s office on my own. On reflection I decided that maybe my pain was only 3 or possibly 4 at the very most. My doctor didn’t refute my assessment but I think he saw through me. He made an astute diagnosis and gave me practical (not related to pain medication) advice about what I should do to treat my problem. His assessment was better than mine and his treatment plan right on the spot.
Doctors, pain clinics, and other researchers are working to develop better assessments tools. Pain management has many facets and it requires a multidisciplinary approach ( physical activity, pain protocol interventions, and medications).
Assess your pain before you talk to your doctor and ask what you can do to make it better. Pain medication alone may threaten your ability to function independently.
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