Need For a Acurate Pain Scale For RA
December 24, 2011 By Linda Basta Leave a Comment (Edit)

Pain is such a difficult thing to analysis. It can be so subjective. A good pain scale is needed for use by both patients and their health professionals. I consider the one used by most hospitals and rehab. centers as very inadequate. You know the one with the smilely faces labeled 1-10.
I never know what to pick. I’ve gotten tolerant over the year having RA. What I couldn’t deal with and labeled a 10, 8 years ago, now I put at a 7. They determine your medication does accordingly, so you always want to consider that when picking you number.
The one I like quite a bit better is called The Comparative Pain Scale developed as described in Jack Harich’s article on this webpage. http://www.tipna.org/info/documents/ComparativePainScale.htm.
It still goes by a 1-10, but each number is fully described so you can be more accurate. Go take a look.
I also like the use of words describing the type of pain. ie burning, stabbing, tingling, etc.
All in all, I think this is a very important issue. Most Rheumatologists and other Health Professional don’t have any idea what we are feeling, and so a good pain scale can help them to relate better to us, and give better treatment. Family members and care takers could become more empathic, and it would even help us to better communicate with each other.
What do you think? To leave your comments, click on the link above.