Keeping A Pain Diary

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Keeping A Pain Diary

http://www.painfoundation.org/page.asp?file=documents/doc_038.htm

You are the only one

who knows how much pain you are feeling. When

your doctor asks you about the pain, you

probably won't remember how

hard some days were. You may not remember

how bad the pain was. The

diary is to help you describe what is

happening to you while it is

happening. It will be very helpful to your

doctor to know when the

pain was bad, what made you feel better,

and what didn't make you

feel better.

Don't worry about

how much to write. You don't even have to write

sentences. Just write the words that describe

how you are feeling.

Don't worry if you

miss a day. Do it when you can. If thinking about

your pain every day is too hard, put the

diary away for a few days

and go back to it when you are ready. This

is your diary. Write when

you can for as many days as you can and

then stop.

Keep a small

notebook or tape recorder with you all day and, during

the course of the day, write down what you

are feeling. The following

questions might help you. Write the date and

time every time you write

in the diary. If writing is too painful,

ask a family member or friend

to do it for you or record the diary on a

tape recorder.

1.. Where does it hurt? List every place

that hurts. Does the pain

move? Does the pain feel different in

different places?

2. How does the pain

feel? The following words might be helpful:

burning, stabbing, sharp, aching, throbbing,

tingling, dull,

pounding, or pressing.

3. Did you have pain

when you woke up or did it start later?

4. Does the pain

change during the day?

5. What, if

anything, makes the pain better or worse?

6. What medicines

are you taking? Do they help - never, sometimes,

always?

List all of the

medicines your doctor gave you and all of the

medicines you bought for yourself at the store.

7. Have you stopped

taking any medicines because they made you

constipated, sleepy or sick, or for other reasons?

8. Do you do

anything to help make the pain go away other than

taking medicine such as getting a massage, or

meditating, etc.?

9. Do you have

trouble sleeping because of the pain?

10. Does the pain

keep you from spending time with family or friends?

11. Do you skip

meals because of the pain??

12. How has the pain

changed your life?

Hugs,

Deanna