“What’s your pain number?”
H
ow many of you have been asked that question when you see the doctor? This question asks you to rate your pain on a scale from
zero for no pain to ten for extremely severe
pain. A few years ago, this scale was promoted
to doctors everywhere as the “fifth vital sign.”
That means that, just like your doctor will check
your pulse, temperature, breathing rate, and blood
pressure as four vital signs at every visit, your doctor
should now also ask for a pain score.
P
THERE’S
MORE
TO
FIBROMYALGIA
than a Pain Score.
ain scores give some information, but there’s a
lot that they don’t tell you or your healthcare provider about how fibro is affecting you. In my experience as a pain doctor, most people seeing a doctor
for a chronic pain condition have a pain level that’s
around seven. But two people with a seven pain score
can have very different pain experiences. The pain
score doesn’t really say anything about how you’re
being affected by your pain. Two people may have
the same pain score and one is functioning fairly well
while the other is more disabled. The pain score is
just a piece of the puzzle.
M
ost research studies testing fibromyalgia treatments rely on the pain scor