Pain levels, often described through a pain scale, provide a standardized method for people to communicate the intensity of their pain to health care providers and others.
Tips & Links
Learn About
- Pain is experienced by each person differently. Physical, emotional, social, and cultural differences can impact how you experience your pain. It is understood by most health care professionals that “pain is what the person says it is”.
- Be aware that different cultures experience and treat chronic pain differently.
- Pain can be short term (or acute) in the case of an injury or chronic pain, lasting for an extended period and possibly never resolving. Know that new or chronic pain can be a sign of a disease.
- Talk to your physician or nurse practitioner about any new pains, long-term pains, and any new sensations such as numbness or tingling.
Assessing Pain
- Be ready for health care professionals to ask you to give a number to rate your pain. This number scale was developed by a nurse, Margo McCaffery in 1988, asking patients to rate their pain level on a scale of 0 (no pain) to 10 (worst pain imaginable).
- Know that your pain can also be described as (0-3) mild pain, (4-6) limiting your activities, or (7-10) severe pain and not allowing you to complete daily tasks. It is important you are honest and open when describing your pain.
- Learn how to assess your pain and to communicate your pain levels from the Canadian Cancer Society.
Find Support
- Learn more about chronic pain from HealthlinkBC.
- Learn ways to get help, support, and resources from Pain BC.
- Contact the Pain Support Line at 1-884-880-PAIN at Pain BC.
- Explore therapies such as massage, physiotherapy, exercise, and acupuncture to help relieve pain to improve the quality of your life.
If you live with chronic pain, include it as one of your health conditions in your health profile. Keep a record of your pain on your health calendar in your Mywell Health planner.