Pain resources

4 Tips for Talking to Your Doctor About Pain

Make the most of the time you spend with your doctor to get the care you need. Be your own pain expert to get the most out of your office visit.

Here are four tips to help you effectively talk about your painful condition. Being accurate and specific about your pain will help you get the best diagnosis and treatment. These tips are helpful if you have

1. Choose your words to describe pain. Here are some examples:

Sharp
Stabbing
Tugging
Burning
Tender
Stiff
Dull
Deep pain
Achy
Pressure

2. Rate your pain on a scale of 0 to 10, with 0 being no pain at all and 10 being the worst pain ever.

3. Tell your doctor when the pain is at its worst:

In the morning when you wake up
During the day after activity
In the evening before you go to sleep
At night (interfering with sleep)

4-Keep a pain log.
Track your pain for a few days before seeing your doctor. In the pain log, keep track of items 1 through 3. Also, note what medications, both prescription and over-the-counter, you took to relieve the pain and whether they helped. Include any herbal preparations.

Death of a Painkiller?

2009-12-22 15:37:24

When an advisory panel to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommended a ban on acetaminophen-containing pain relievers in June 2009, the response was quick and angry. We were deluged with consumer calls, says FDA spokeswoman Karen Riley. Why the outcry? The panel had suggested that the FDA remove acetaminophen from all prescription drugs, including Percocet and Vicodin, two of the most popular painkillers in the world. The panel also advised lowering the amount of acetaminophen in over-the-counter medications like Tylenol from 500 milligrams to 325, which would cap the maximum daily dose at 2,600 milligrams. The reason: Every year, about 400 Americans die and 42,000 more visit the ER because of acetaminophen overdoses, which can lead to liver damage.

The Sound of Music Eases Pain

2009-12-22 14:55:35

Researchers at Glasgow Caledonian University in Scotland found that people who were listening to their favorite music felt less pain and could stand pain for a longer period.

Running Barefoot Eases Pain

2009-12-22 14:54:49

Scientists have found that those who run barefoot, or in minimal footwear, have a very different stride from their shoe-wearing peers. The sneaker-less tend to avoid "heel-striking," and instead land on the ball of the foot or the middle of the foot. By landing on the middle or front of the foot, barefoot runners have almost no impact collision, much less than most shod runners generate when they heel-strike.