Pain . How it is perceived and Communicated

Millions of people suffer from pain and its side effects . It’s a multi billion dollar business . Pharmaceutical companies that push pills through Doctor's office or directly to consumers through television advertisement .

I saw an advertisement for Advil that claimed three pills a day can take your pain away . This got me thinking where I came to a realization that we have been sold a bill of goods , from the Doctors office to the adds we see . It has changed our understanding and use of terms .

Lets take a walk to the Doctors office . You will be asked on your initial screening ,

"How would you rate your pain on a scale of 0 to 10, with 0 being no pain and 10 being the worst pain you can imagine?”

The question is full of miss understanding and conjecture . The scale is more of a measure of pain tolerance then a pain rating . No matter how you answer this question an accurate measure of pain will never be determined . To use the word pain and give it levels of Ache , Soar , Hurt and Pain is a misuse of the word and by nature brings in confusion and conjecture .

Ache ;

We all have encounter this and is generally dismissed or treated with aspirin . It generally has a short duration period . The first stage of a toothache .

Soar ;

We experience this with a really good muscle workout or a bruise .

Hurt ;

This is the one that is mainly being confused with pain . We seek medical attention for this . It is problematic and has a wide range . After not treating a toothache it becomes a hurt very quickly or abscessed .

Pain ;

Pain is the most sever and can cause death . It is treated with Narcotics If it has any duration to it , A management system has to be used .

Duration and Frequency

Are a major factor in assessing pain . They go hand and hand and must be asked in any assement .

The rating scale does not include Duration and Frequency .

If you hit your finger with a hammer or slam your finger in a door the first thing you feel is pain . It last a couple of seconds . You might see a white flash . Eyes might water and you jump up and down . That’s pain and not to be confused with Hurt , Soar or an ache . Then as it starts to throb you Hurt . As hours pass you the will have a Sore finger for awhile until it moves through the Ache phase . This is a simplified example of what we call pain .
The example does have its merits where I hope it provided some explanation of this post .

Duration and Frequency is what determines Chronic Pain . You may not be in pain but it is painful . A long duration of Hurt or a short duration with frequency needs to be treated with the upmost importance .

A lot of study has taken place over the last couple of years . Unfortunilly Medical practice has not caught up . The study of chronic pain has produced a discipline of new Doctors who specialize in pain management .

When conveying information to the attending Physician the information has to be accurate . By using the Pain scale you will not communicate the correct information . What you say is put in your medical records to be use at a later date . Overstating what you feel will harm you in the long run more then understating . I have used this method over the years and it has worked out better in the long run .