"It is relative," says Micke Brown, RN, director of advocacy at the Baltimore-based American Pain Foundation and past president of the American Society for Pain Management Nursing. She remembers one patient who had suffered chronic pain for years: "She said that she would measure her pain at a 6. She would compare it to breaking a bone, which for me would maybe be a 10. But her 10—her worst pain when she couldn't function—was feeling like her arm was on fire."<\/p>\n Using the LOCATES scale<\/b><\/p>\n We have a lot of words for pain. Use them with your doctor. Note the type of pain (burning, dull, sharp?) and the triggers (environment, activity). It's a lot to remember, and a pain diary<\/a> is one solution. You can also use the LOCATES memory aid below, provided by the American Pain Foundation<\/a>.<\/p>\n L<\/b>: Location of the pain and whether it travels to other body parts.<\/p>\n O<\/b>: Other associated symptoms such as nausea, numbness, or weakness.<\/p>\n C<\/b>: Character of the pain, whether it's throbbing, sharp, dull, or burning.<\/p>\n A<\/b>: Aggravating and alleviating factors. What makes the pain better or worse?<\/p>\n T<\/b>: Timing of the pain, how long it lasts, is it constant or intermittent?<\/p>\n E<\/b>: Environment where the pain occurs, for example, while working or at home.<\/p>\n S<\/b>: Severity of the pain. Use a 0-to-10 pain scale from no pain to worst ever.<\/p>\n![\"jennifer-jaff\"](\"https:\/\/imagesvc.meredithcorp.io\/v3\/mm\/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.onecms.io%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fsites%2F12%2F2016%2F02%2Fjennifer-jaff-75.jpg\")
jennifer-jaff<\/span> More about chronic pain<\/p>\n\n