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When they ask:” any pain today? On a scale... with 10 being the worst
Chronic Pain | Last Active: Sep 25, 2019 | Replies (16)Comment receiving replies
I always tend to have the same response when asked what is your pain level today: "Compared to what?"
I have also learned, especially for those that deal with chronic pain and learn to mostly deal with it or to push it back in their brain, to not undersell your pain when asked. Most who deal with chronic pain learn to push it back some and it becomes a fabric of daily life, so when asked to rate it, it is often underrated. It took me some time, but I learned to not be "tough" and say my pain was a 3 when really it was probably something closer to a 6+. It is a hard scale, but I am sure it is difficult for many providers too.
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Yes, exactly. I have finally learned to be honest ad clear. My best days now are pain levels of 3-4, "flare-up" days 5-7, needing more serious intervention, 8-10. I have not had an 8-10 day for at least a year, probably since I added Cymbalta and CBD gels to my pill regimen. I probably have a DP on my pain clinic file, as none of their costly interventions ever helped at all. Glad to be past the pain clinic days! Lots of them here in the land where folks come to die--Arizona!--and the pain clinics guys are doing very well.(Tongue in cheek, but true to my experience for the most part!)