Pain diary: Hi guys and gals, Does anyone keep... - Pain Concern

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Pain diary

Lanadc88 profile image
24 Replies

Hi guys and gals,

Does anyone keep a pain diary ? I keep trying to do one but I’m never consistent but I really want to keep it up every day so I can take it to appointments so doctors can see how it affects me every day however I’m not sure how to lay it out?. What I plan on doing is writing my meds at the top and the times I take them. Then adding in the spoon theory so marking off spoons when I do things then a pain score for morning afternoon and night and then comments about the day etc... how does that sound? Any information would really be appreciated. I hope your all as well as can be xxx

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Lanadc88 profile image
Lanadc88
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24 Replies
Bananas5 profile image
Bananas5

It isn't always necessary to keep it going every day. If you have an apt coming up either GP, consultant or specialist then at least a week is good.

Note what you were doing when pain kicked in. How long it lasted and what you took. No real need for spoons....you may have to take time to explain!!

Hope that makes sense

x

Lanadc88 profile image
Lanadc88

Thank you, yes I know it’s not necessary to do every day but I want to try and do it every day and stick to it for my own sake as well hence the spoons thing. It may also give me a better insight to triggers etc

Chance15 profile image
Chance15

Hi I used to keep a pain daily how I felt,how I felt total exhaustion.strugling to get out of bed.Not been able to dress myself etc.

I had been doing doing the pain diary for 16 months.

Cut a long story short I had mentioned it to pip assessmenent person she told me she didn’t need or want it.

Ps sorry it make. Nosence my brain doe work.

Lanadc88 profile image
Lanadc88 in reply toChance15

Bless you I thought they would accept it at pip assesment

Chance15 profile image
Chance15 in reply toLanadc88

She didn’t need it I’ve still got it recorded on me mobile.

It’s down to u and gud luck

Lanadc88 profile image
Lanadc88 in reply toChance15

Thank you

CanuckAnon profile image
CanuckAnon

I do so my pain specialist knows how shots are working and to qualify for Botox subsidy you need 3 months worth of daily journal

Lanadc88 profile image
Lanadc88 in reply toCanuckAnon

Arrr great what do you include in it ?

CanuckAnon profile image
CanuckAnon in reply toLanadc88

If you get a brochure for them it includes a 3 month diary to fill in...

Lanadc88 profile image
Lanadc88 in reply toCanuckAnon

Ok great

Chance15 profile image
Chance15

It was a home visit.

cyberbarn profile image
cyberbarn

Instead of a written diary or even in addition to a written diary, have you thought of keeping a visual one? You can do it in the form of a graph, with the date along the bottom and the pain level up the side, maybe on a 0-10 scale to keep it simple. Choose a midpoint of the scale for the pain you feel on the first day you do it, then once a day, usually at the same time, decide whether you are in more or less pain from the day before, and by how much. That way you can track visually over time how your pain levels are. If you want to be very precise and track it over a day, you can make the bottom into morning and afternoon for each day.

Does that make sense?

I did this to track pain in my wrist for over 30 years by making the bottom monthly, and showed it to my orthopaedic surgeon and he found it really helpful to understand how my pain varied over time. In that case I did it retrospectively from the diaries I have kept over the years. Then more recently I did it daily after I had surgery on my foot and we tracked how quickly the pain subsided from the surgery and how it compared to the pain before the surgery.

Lanadc88 profile image
Lanadc88 in reply tocyberbarn

That’s a great idea I just want to write it so I can get my thoughts down each day as well so maybe I might do this on the side thank you

cyberbarn profile image
cyberbarn in reply toLanadc88

A good way to remember to write something every day is to hook it onto an activity that you are already doing. For me it is when my adult son says 'I am ready for bed'. I then ask him how his day has been (he is disabled) and type that into a document in black, then I type in red how I am feeling, (then green with info about our chickens, goose and ducks!). Because we have a bedtime routine that is exactly the same each day this works for us better than doing in the morning, or some other time.

LeighBlyth profile image
LeighBlyth

Buy a diary. Get one you like.

Just start using it, whatever you want to with it.

Don't stress about when you don't use it - it doesn't have to be a daily thing.

It doesn't have to be neat! You can always write up some notes for the doctors from your diary.

I started a diary the day my depression lifted and I started healing. It's full of bad handwriting, scribbles and a long list of pains and symptoms but it's helped me keep track and see patterns.

Lanadc88 profile image
Lanadc88 in reply toLeighBlyth

Great advice thank you

Emma2017 profile image
Emma2017

I kept a similar one to cyberbarn but with numbered columns. My pain guy asked me to keep a diary. I did not start in the middle but wrote down the number the pain was at (from 1 to 10). I just made up an A4 form on the computer showing vertical columns with various part of my body in pain during day and then night and the end column for a brief note if necessary (to say why pain was higher that day for example). First column was the month and year showing, then all the days underneath. So once a day I put in a number (s) at the end of the day and first thing in the morning for the previous night (I did morning and evening for a while too). Pain guy found them brilliant as he could scan them quickly to see how things were. I have now stopped as it just focused me too much on the pain and having had more surgery things changed.

Lanadc88 profile image
Lanadc88 in reply toEmma2017

Brilliant thank you that help so much

Amkoffee profile image
Amkoffee

I have started doing a pain Journal a few times and decided finally not to do it. I think sometimes doing a pain Journal can just mean that all you're focusing on is the pain you're in. A pain Journal might be helpful if you don't know why you hurt but what's the point in focusing in on something like that if you already know. There are many apps on Google play for journaling your pain. You might look at some of them as they may give you some ideas even if you don't use them.

Lanadc88 profile image
Lanadc88 in reply toAmkoffee

Yeah I know what you mean I just get things out better when I write them on paper it’s also good for my mental health and for

Me to remember to tell the doctors certain things etc x

Lanadc88 profile image
Lanadc88

Yes a blog is a great idea. However I fail to have the time to create my own blog as I am constantly writing for others. I need to come up with a happy medium for myself. I find physically writing my systems quite therapeutic now that I have started, I also use it as an aid to remind me when my medication is due and a way of noting information I can relay to my doctors, information I may otherwise forget. Soon as I have written this reply I’m going to follow the link you have sent and take a look. I am open to anything that my help me better manage my symptoms, so thank you for your reply.

Lanadc88 profile image
Lanadc88

At a quick glance I can’t really see how socks or patches are going to help manage my chronic, all over body pain. Pain which is caused by a number of different issues. I’m sure the concept of the design helps many people with everyday aches and pains in their lower region and Legs. I see you provide knee supports to. Yet I can’t imagine the products helping with chronic lower back pain, fibromyalgia, eds and joint pain caused by IBD amongst other things. So thank you so much for the information, however it’s not a route I’m going to take for my pain management journey. All the best.

Lanadc88 profile image
Lanadc88

I understand and it’s a great concept I just can justify paying the price for something that may or may not work as I have spent 100’s on this miracle technology and this miracle cream and I may as well have thrown the money down the toilet because none of it worked. I’m sure your has helped many people, I’m just not a person who can justify the cost of trying anything else that might work

Lanadc88 profile image
Lanadc88

It’s not that iv given up trying its that iv given up wasting money on trying. I will gladly try the patches and ever write an honest review you can use as a blog in exchange? Can I message you through the website to get the patches as I’d feel more comfortable giving my details that way

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