How Sore are you?

[desquinn]

One of the aspects of fibromyalgia is chronic widespread pain. But often the word chronic is misinterpreted as severity rather than the length of time or it being ever present.

We have people with fibromyalgia that have light annoying pain that still ruins there life as well as frequently putting the kettle in the fridge, burning through pots and not getting any rest from sleep. This is their particular fibromyalgia and their hell but they can have their condition invalidated as there pain is not sore enough for other to accept.

Recently saw this pain scale from a good source but what I liked about it was the two qualifiers at the end. as well as the legitimacy of the scale. I will normally move between 2 and 6 on this scale but I know what fibro has taken from me and will not let anyone else's experience of fibro invalidate my own and my families loss from this condition.

Words mean things so please think about chronic pain for a moment

[Dizzytwo]

Great Post Des thank you 😊 going on that scale I would say for me I'm stuck at a 7 I would say 8 for me means I'm in a flare. This is what I'm just coming off after 4 weeks.

Momo

[Dinkie]

Generally between 2 and 7 on a day to day basis. Burning through pots made me smile - I seem to be using the smoke detector as a cooking timer at the moment🤦‍♀️

[Hazel_Angelstar Administrator FMA UK Staff]

I average between 5 - 7 majority of the time. But might get down to 4 on a good day, up to 8 during a flare.

I read so many people who base severity of fibromyalgia on pain levels, but I've realised during lockdown when my pain levels have been less, that my fatigue and brain fog cause me much more issues than my pain does

[Midori]

Nowadays, I hover between 3 and 6; but in a flare can go up to 8. My pain moves around too, today I have a sciatica-style pain in muscles close to my spine, but its too high for sciatica. I probably slept awkwardly. Hurts up to 6-7 if I bend to the left.

Cheers, Midori

[desquinn Partner Volunteer FMAUK Trustee]

funnily enough I have a 7 this morning which is unusual for me but this is not chronic pain and is my back deciding to get in on the action. But if I do not move, breathe or do anything else then it is not an issue This is non fibro pain just to make the day more interesting.

[geminilady]

What a great post. I would say im between 3 and 5 every day for most of the time. However i am definitely a 9 every single night. My poor husband gets disturbed sleep because of my constant calling out and moaning in pain. I can only manage 2 hours max in bed, before the pain gets me and i have to get up and move around. I am able to go back to sleep after a couple of hours, but then the cycle starts all over again. And this is my life and has been for the last 8 years. I dont remember what it is like to sleep the whole night. This is a horrid condition, but i count myself lucky that my pain is manageable now and not like it was when i was first diagnosed. Gentle hugs to you all.