Easy Pain Assessment Method

Pain is often a common presenting sign in a victim. Understanding the calibre of someone’s pain may well be the key to diagnosing what is causing it.

Pain is considered the “fifth vital sign” and a subjective symptom, so healthcare providers must rely on the patient’s description. Pain is whatever the person says it is, existing whenever the person says it does even if no specific cause of can is identified. To conduct his pain assessment, you can use the COLDERR method.

C - Character: description of the sensation of the pain (dull, sharp, aching, burning, tingling, etc.)

O - Onset: when did it start? Were there any causes or triggers?

L - Location: where does it hurt? Is the pain unilateral, bilateral, or radiating?

D - Duration: constant versus intermittent in nature, does it change during the day?

E - Exacerbation: which factors make it worse?

R - Relief: what makes it better, including medications, mechanical treatments, and posture change?

R - Radiation: pattern of spread from its origin.

Pain is subjective and it is difficult to explain what you’re feeling to another person, even your own doctor. To effectively use the pain scale, familiarize yourself with the levels before your procedure, identifying what key levels are indicative of the pain level.

Using a Pain Scale

There are many different kinds of pain scales, but a common one is a numerical scale from 0 to 10. Here, 0 means you have no pain; one to three means mild pain; four to six is considered moderate pain; seven and above is severe pain.

0 - No pain

Mild Pain – Nagging, annoying, but doesn’t really interfere with daily living activities.

1 – Pain is very mild, barely noticeable. Most of the time you don’t think about it.

2 – Minor pain. Annoying and may have occasional stronger twinges.

3 – Pain is noticeable and distracting, however, you can get used to it and adapt.

Moderate Pain – Interferes significantly with daily living activities.

4 – Moderate pain. If you are deeply involved in an activity, it can be ignored for a period of time but is still distracting.

5 – Moderately strong pain. It can’t be ignored for more than a few minutes, but with effort, you still can manage to work or participate in some social activities.

6 – Moderately strong pain that interferes with normal daily activities. Difficulty concentrating.

Severe Pain – Disabling; unable to perform daily living activities.

7 – Severe pain that dominates your senses and significantly limits your ability to perform normal daily activities or maintain social relationships. Interferes with sleep.

8 – Intense pain. Physical activity is severely limited. Conversing requires great effort.

9 – Excruciating pain. Unable to converse. Crying out and/or moaning uncontrollably.

10 – Unspeakable pain. Bedridden and possibly delirious. Very few people will ever experience this level of pain.

Pain scales are based on self-reported data — that means from the patient, so they are admittedly subjective. Your version of a seven could be someone else’s idea of a three. But the idea is that they can help compare your own ratings over time. Is your pain improving or getting worse? Using a pain scale can also help you and your doctor analyze which factors (a change in physical activity, say, or a new medication regimen) could be responsible for those changes.

Disclaimer: This information has been developed for educational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Should you have questions or concerns about any topic described here, please consult your healthcare professional.