How can pain be measured and described?
Pain is a subjective experience that cannot be objectively measured or experienced by others. Therefore, it is not possible to compare your own pain with the pain of others to see if the pain is "the same". Instead, pain is measured individually based on how much pain each person can tolerate. This is usually done using a scale from 0-10, where 0 is no pain and 10 is the worst pain imaginable. This way, you can compare the pain level before and after a pain treatment to see if the treatment has had a positive effect.
It is always up to the person in pain to assess their pain level, as it is not possible to feel and assess someone else's pain.
In addition to having a measure of how severe pain is experienced, it can be a good idea to describe the pain more qualitatively, i.e., describe how the pain is experienced. This can be done by describing where in the body the pain is experienced and how long it has been present (hours, days, years). In addition, whether it is constant or alternating, regular or irregular, along with the sensation of the pain, i.e., whether it is stabbing, burning, shooting, throbbing, tingling, cutting, drilling, and so on.
This qualitative description makes it easier for others to understand the pain because it provides a more pictorial understanding. It can also be helpful for the practitioner and a help to get closer to what the cause of the pain is and thereby what type of pain treatment is likely to be the most effective.
