It was hard to the pinpoint the exact moment when pain became a part of my life, but it was certainly a milestone. I am not alone; our generation does not do pain well.
Our grandparents were known to tell us to “bite the bullet” or “grin and bear it,” but most of us don’t have that kind of patience. We want a quick fix.
At what point does pain become more than we can tolerate? As a nurse I was taught to rate pain on a scale of 1-10. The trouble was that everyone thought that their pain was off the chart; an 11 or 12, at least. It wasn’t of course, but our tool didn’t measure pain very realistically.
The pain scale used today is a better tool. It goes something like this:
1. Persistent but just slightly uncomfortable
2. Uncomfortable enough to be a minor bother
3. Annoying but tolerable; decreases enjoyment
4. Distressing; pain no longer mild, work and enjoyment affected.
5. Very distressing; sleep, activity level and mood affected.
6. Intense; pain cannot be ignored, you may not be able to work.
7. Very Intense; pain getting severe, walking is difficult.
8. Utterly horrible; hard to relate or talk to others.
9. Excruciating, unbearable; nausea or moaning
10 Unimaginable, worst pain ever
This particular pain scale was tacked to the door of the exam room at my doctor’s office. I noticed it because I had been “uncomfortable” for quite some time. How uncomfortable? Yesterday I might have told you that my pain was somewhere in the neighborhood of a 5, but after reading the new criteria I decided that it was probably only a 3. Does that mean I was there under false pretenses?
Of course not. Pain, especially persistent pain, should never be ignored. Level 3 might not sound like much, but if you feel uncomfortable most of the time, you should have it checked out.
Try to rate your pain realistically, seek professional advice, follow the treatment plan, and breathe a sigh of relief.
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