Survey: Chronic Pain Management Pain Scale

Dolce, RN · Aug 29, 2007

Chronic pain is a difficult issue. I have also experience people rating their chronic pain in the 4-8 range. Unfortunately this is reality for a lot of people. A few good questions to ask sufferers of chronic pain is their normal pain level on 0-10 scale? The level they would rate as tolerable? The non-pharmaceutical methods of pain relief they use? I often feel the need to "fix" their problem and give them enough pain medication to make them "comfortable." But, this is not always what the patient needs or wants. It is a good idea to ask the patient if their pain is acceptable to them and if not what we can do to improve it. Chronic pain patients are often the best judge of what does and does not work for them.

time4meRN · Aug 29, 2007

The average patient I see in outpatient always states pain level of 5 or greater on the scale of 0 to 10. Very few with chronic pain state pain levels of 4 or less.
I am researching to see what other nurses have noticed. It is a individual response but when the pain scale was used of 0 to 5, paients went 4 to 5. Patients seem to always go to the high end of the spectrum.
What do you see as the most common response for Chronic Pain
How do you teach pain management to your patients?
Do you use the pain scale?
Handouts with pictures or written material??
DO you feel your patients comprehend the pain scale???

I work in ther ER, not much time to teach anything so...I use the usual pain scale 0-10 , or faces. I always find it interesting to assess childeren. I find that sometimes it seems to be their emotion rather than pain. If they have a broken arm are calm and doing well, I've had them give me a simile face, I've had them come in with a rash and give me a sad face (10). I suppose emotion comes into play with anyone be it adult or child. I try not to judge. If they tell me it's a 10 , it's a 10. (although, I'm not perfect, I find myself judging many times). Not sure how they could change the sclae for chronics. Seems their pain would always be at the high end.

1. Pain management: Difficult in ER, bed not comfortable, noise all the time, bright lights, many painful procedures, figure, just relive the pain worry about addiction vs, pain at pcp office.

2. yes

3. yes

4. most...espesialy with chronics.They tell me before I ask

CHATSDALE · Aug 29, 2007

usually if they are in hosp or er they ae there because the pain was severe enough to bring them in

if they had a mild headache they would take a couple of apap and go about their business

crone57 · Jan 31, 2008

I personally don't like the whole pain scale thing & find it difficult to use. Most of the time I'll ask patients if they're having a little bit of pain, medium amt. or about ready to go scream... they seem to understand that a whole lot better than a number system. As a person in pain myself, I have found that pain can change in a matter of minutes....from a 2 before I do a load of laundry to now a 7... It's a tough call either way... All I know is I'm a lot more likely to give pain meds now than ever before b/c once you've had 10+ pain, you have new understanding!!

TOBYDOG · Apr 11, 2008

I have a different pain scale for medical Tx if I can't Walk or I can't talk then it's time to go to the hospital otherwise it's part of being a biped. I have low back pain and it has been chronic for the last 15 yrs. Stretching and activity only do so much. Meds can control it but personally I wouldn't go for the radical Tx my Ortho advised on the first visit. I just can't bring myself to the knife with other options available. Sounds bad for a student but its reality or my perception.

As far as my Pt's pain it is what they say it is. My challenge is to find what will work for them. Meds are good but sometimes there are other methods that they haven't heard of. Our job should be to educate our PT's on different methods of pain control if they are open to other interventions. Obviously there are needs for all pain meds and they are very valuable to our Pt's conditions.