$Unique_ID{BRK00098}
$Pretitle{}
$Title{Communicating Pain to Your Doctor}
$Subject{pain pains painful painfully communication Ill Defined Symptoms
Communicating lifestyle cramping sharp throbbing ache aches aching
Communicating lifestyles symptom}
$Volume{N-23}
$Log{}

Copyright (c) 1991-92,1993   Tribune Media Services, Inc.


Communicating Pain to Your Doctor


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QUESTION:  My doctor never understands me when I tell him I'm in real pain.
How can I get the message across?

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ANSWER:  Pain is difficult to experience and, unfortunately, it can be
difficult to talk about.  The way you experience pain is unique to you.
     It may help to bring a checklist of information about your pain to your
physician.  Write down when the pain started, whether there was a specific
cause, or whether it developed gradually.  Is the pain intermittent or
constant?  Are you in worse pain in certain positions, such as sitting or
laying down?  How has the pain affected the quality of your life?  Have you
taken any pain medications and have they helped at all?
     Don't just say you are in pain, describe your pain.  Words like cramping,
sharp, throbbing, aching, all give different information to your physician.
If, after you have tried this, your physician still does not understand, you
may have to consider finding a physician whose pain "vocabulary" matches
yours.

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The material contained here is "FOR INFORMATION ONLY" and should not replace
the counsel and advice of your personal physician.  Promptly consulting your
doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical
problem.