Managing Arthritis Pain.
Last updated Tuesday, January 04, 2005
Talking to doctors about painHealth care team To help manage pain, you may want to consult a primary care physician,
nurse, pharmacist, physical therapist, or other health care
professional. You may be referred to a rheumatologist, a doctor who
specializes in treating arthritis.Gaining control through communication Even though pain may interfere with work, relationships, and daily
life, few Americans talk to their doctors about it. Did you know:
- Fewer than half (43 percent) of Americans with severe or moderate
pain report that they have a "great deal of control" over their pain.
- Fewer than half (42 percent) of people who visit their doctor for
pain believe that their doctor completely understands how their pain
makes them feel.
One of the best ways to gain control of pain is to talk to a doctor
about it. Unlike a broken leg, pain cannot be seen in an x-ray or
identified by a medical test. What a patient says may be the only way
the doctor will know about the pain. And because people experience and
respond to pain differently, how a patient describes pain is the best
way for the doctor to understand what the patient is feeling. Only then
can the doctor help the patient treat the pain.
Remember, the patient and the doctor should share the same goal--reducing the patient's pain.
This page has information on ways to understand pain, keep track of
it, and describe it to a health care provider--whether a doctor, nurse,
pharmacist, or other medical professional. Understanding pain Patients may want to consider asking a friend or family member to
accompany them to the doctor's office. He or she can take notes or help
listen to what the doctor says. Remember that pain not only affects the
person suffering with it, but it may also affect the people around
them.
It may also be helpful to prepare in advance by writing down
symptoms, allergies, medicines, previous medical procedures, and
conditions or diseases, and to show this list to the doctor.
By being prepared to describe pain to the doctor, patients can make
the most of their doctor visits. Thinking about these questions before
a doctor's appointment may help patients explain their pain to doctors:
Location:
- Where is the pain felt? (Knee, hip, feet?)
- Is there pain anywhere else?
- Does the pain move from one area of the body to another?
Frequency:
- How often is the pain felt? (Daily, weekly?)
- Is the pain felt constantly, or every now and then?
- What time of day is the pain felt? (Upon waking up, at night?)
Severity:
- How strong is the pain?
- Is it sharp? (Stabbing, splitting, gnawing?)
- How does the pain make you feel? (Tired, upset?)
What makes the pain feel better or worse:
- What relieves the pain? (Exercise, rest, medicine?)
- What makes it feel worse (Inactivity?)
- What activities cause the pain to be felt? (Walking, bending?)
- Has any treatment worked so far? If so, which ones?
- Does pain interfere with activities? (Bathing, dressing, sleeping, exercising, taking care of children?)
During a doctor visit Here are some tips and suggested questions for a patient visiting a doctor about pain.
- Tell the doctor about the pain. Don't wait for the doctor to ask about it.
- Be prepared to describe the pain using specific words, such as: aching,
searing, throbbing, stabbing, sharp, pounding, gnawing, cramping,
burning, tingling, dull, blinding, intense, radiating, piercing.
- Ask the doctor to explain what the problem might be.
- Tell the doctor what relieves or worsens the pain.
- Talk to the doctor about diagnosis and treatment.
- Let the doctor know what prescription and over-the-counter medications are being taken, even if they're not for pain.
Ask the doctor:
- About options for pain relief (exercise, medication, alternative therapies).
- About the benefits and potential risks or side effects of any treatments or medications.
- About activities to avoid or modify.
- To explain anything that isn't clear.
- When a follow-up visit should be scheduled.
Take notes to help remember what the doctor said.
If patients still have questions about the pain or the treatment plan after the doctor visit, they should call the doctor back.
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