The pain chart...SERIOUSLY???

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  • jamerz3294
    jamerz3294 Posts: 1,824 Member
    The pain chart is total b#ll$hit! Pain is totally relative to each individual person. My idea of a level 4 pain may be someone else's level 6... or level 3. Gimme a break! I had arthroscopic surgery on my neck last December, believe me when I tell you that I know pain! (before the surgery, the surgery was an amazing success!). I didn't think that anyone could endure the pain I went through, so each person's pain is subjective to them. Just please communicate with your doc about the reality of your pain, and how it affects your life. I have found that to be a much better conversation. Hugz and luva!
  • AdreaDawn
    AdreaDawn Posts: 26
    Ya know what??? I hate those stupid "pain charts." They should be banned for usage against (and yes I mean AGAINST!) anyone older than 10.

    I went into the cold little room and the doctor asked me, "Look at the chart and tell me how you feel." So I look...

    If I pick 0, then WTF am I doing at the doctor's office? Am I mental? So obviously I can't choose 0.

    If I pick 10, then I'm a major wimp and then he'd send me to someone for psychiatric help...Right? And then he ads that 10, means your arm was just severed...Awww crap...10's now out.

    I wouldn't come into the doctors if was only a 2 or a 4 because then the doctor would think I was too wimpy, give me Motrin and send me home with an eye-roll. Wouldn't 2 or 4 be like a splinter or stubbing your toe on the edge of the coffee table in the middle of the dark at night?

    If I chose 6 or 8 then I feel stupid for waiting so long to come in for the problem, and even if I say 8, I will get in trouble for waiting so long, and at that point, he'd send me to the ER, not his clinic. I'm thinking an 8 would be more like birthing contractions...but what does HE know about that, right?

    So I guess I could be a 6 for the most part, but I gave birth and ignored a ruptured appendix for 2 months afterwards...So am I usually a stronger pain tolerant person? Where's that on the chart? The backside?

    At this point I have waisted almost 3 full minutes looking at the chart, thinking about why I'm even at the office, and feeling not only annoyed, but my palms started to get sweaty. And about this time I'm starting to mentally feel like a ten...Not in the hottie aspect, but more about to cry (which would be a 10) because I friggin can't pick out my pain on this stupid scale!!!

    Anyway... I think from now I'm just going to say I'm a 10 and cut to the middle man. Or maybe I'll just pick 10, and then tell him I'm going to alternate between 1 and 10 each time I visit.

    Anyone want to join me in the fight against using the pain chart if you are older than 10???

    pain-scale.gif

    As a registered nurse, the tool USED CORRECTLY is a great tool. People VERY OFTEN come in to the ER or MD office with no complaints of pain. People come in for blood in stool, fatigue, just a general weakness, and you name it, and none of those relate to pain. The whole PAIN assessment was a big push by JACHO which is the national accrediting company that pays the hospitals. So we HAVE to assess pain on EVERY patient irregardless of it is why you came in. OBVIOSLY the 0-10 scale is individualized (again if used correctly) because a 10 to some is a 3 to others, so they should ask you what is tolerable to you. The faces are meant for children or developmentally delayed adults, because they do not associate their pain with a number very well. Hope this helps!
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