I've been reading some other threads and talking with some of my coworkers lately and it makes me wonder how accurate the 0-10 pain scale is. I've heard nurses describe '10' as being the worst pain you could possibly imagine or the pain you would feel when you have your arm ripped off...is that fair? I've had migraines that were the worst pain I have ever had, but not the worst pain I could imagine...so does that make them only a '6' on the standard pain scale? Was I wrong to rate the pain at an '8' or '9'? I had a kidney stone that made my worst migraine seem pretty mild...does that mean that next time I get a migraine, I can only rate it at a '3' or '4'?
I've never been comfortable with the 0-10 scale...people's pain tolerance is so different and what is a '3' to me might be what a '10' is to someone else. I think I like the Wong-Baker Faces Scale better...it seems easier to pick out a face that describes how you feel rather than trying to put a number on something.
I know both are just tools, but it seems to me there should be a better system...if anyone wants to invent a machine that could determine the actual level of pain, I would be happy to try it out.
:)