Undoubtedly, there has been progress made in recent years by healthcare professionals and patients towards understanding and properly managing pain. Unfortunately, pain still poses a problem for patients who are under-diagnosed, over-diagnosed or misdiagnosed. Controlling the pain you are in is essential to quality of life. Knowing the characteristics of pain and why it is happening give you an advantage in dealing and controlling aspects of pain. Taking control of your life and being responsible for yourself will assist you in lowering your pain.
Understanding why your body is reacting as it does and the roles of the brain and the nervous system are the best ways to help yourself. Dealing with everyday stresses takes tools that most of us have not practiced in the past, but quickly have to adapt to in order to manage our new reality. Knowing your treatment options, causes of your pain, how it can be properly diagnosed and long-term care needed will give you support as well as the ability to help yourself. Keeping track of how you are doing with activities of daily living and symptoms you are experiencing after the start of PAIN and as you are being treated by your healthcare professionals is a good idea. Below are some excerpts from my records, to give you an idea of where to start.
Symptoms by Month
Be sure to be as descriptive and note any changes. You may not think that the change your body is going through or your mood is an issue having to do with your pain condition. The healthcare professional you are being treated by needs as much detail when it comes to the changes in your life. They may have a treatment option to offer you to alleviate the symptom and if you do not let them know, what is going on they cannot fully treat you.
October 2016
- Blackouts
- Can’t work to full duties
- Disorganized thought w/ headaches, trouble focusing
- Ear pain R/L (off and on)
- Facial numbness (Off and on)
- General sleep problems due to pain and discomfort, taking sleeping pills
- Headaches (off and on)
- Husband drives me around due to blackouts
- Husband has to help wash my hair
- Inability to turn head quickly
- Jaw pain
- Neck/back pain daily
- Pain/numbness when raise R arm in arm and fingers
- Problems looking down to read and write
- Shoulder pain on R, going into arm, shoulder pain on L
- Vision/Hearing Affected during blackouts
November 2016
- Same as last month
- Missed work
- Numbness in hands/ fingers (off and on)
- Passed out/ hit head, lead to hospital visit
December 2016
- Same as last month