In Pain – OnCare Cancer Center In Pain

What should I do if I am in pain?

A test cannot be performed to measure different levels of pain. So that any pain you may be experiencing can be reduced or eliminated, you will need to talk to your physician about the pain and provide specific details about your level of discomfort.

According to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), the answers you give to the following questions can help your physician locate the cause of the pain and develop a plan to provide you with as much relief as possible.

The following questions may be asked of you to more accurately evaluate your condition:

Can you describe the pain and what it feels like?
How would you rate the pain? To accurately answer this, your physician may ask you to rate your pain using a scale from 0 to 10. "0" is absence of pain and "10" is extreme pain.
When did the pain start and how long does it last?
Is the pain worse during certain times of the day or night?
Can you show exactly where on your body you are experiencing pain?
Does the pain move or travel? If yes, can you show how and where?
Have you taken any medications to relieve the pain, or tried any other approaches to reduce the pain? Have you experience any relief?
Have you noticed particular activities or positions that aggravate the pain?

NCI suggests that you make some notes so that when your physician asks specific questions about your pain you will be able to provide accurate answers. Write down the details of any discomfort you might have been having so you will not forget to report them. Consider keeping a diary of your pain, or ask a friend of family member to help track your symptoms. The types of information that you may want to note in your diary include:

date
time
pain scale rating
type and dose of medication
time pain medication was taken
how well pain responded to medication taken
any other pain relief methods attempted

Your physician may need to refer to your diary when making a plan to relieve your pain and to make you more comfortable, therefore, be sure to bring it with you to your physician visits.