Many people I have worked with over the years have consistently rated their pain at levels 9 or 10 on the 0 to 10 pain scale.  Part of this high rating may have been a misunderstanding of the pain scale.  Another reason some of my patients would finally confide to me that they rated it so high in order for other people to take them seriously and/or give them something to help them better mange their pain. 

Below is a chart that might help you better understand the 0 to 10 pain scale in order to better evaluate and share with others the exact level that your pain is at.  It will help you to more accurately rate your pain levels in the next exercise. 

Remember though your pain levels tend to fluctuate—pain can ebb and flow like the ocean tides.  Different physical and psychological situations can either amplify or sometimes even lower your pain levels.  I would also encourage you to develop your own descriptive phrase to describe each of the ten levels of pain on the scale.

As you review this ten point scale please think how you would describe each of the ten levels in your own words.  The important thing is for you to learn how to communicate your levels of pain accurately to your healthcare provider.  

1-10 Pain Scale 

Level 1   =  My Pain Is Barely Noticeable

Level 2   =  My Pain Is Noticeable With No Distress

Level 3   =  My Pain Is Becoming Disturbing But No Distress

Level 4   =  My Pain Has Some Distress But No Coping Problems

Level 5   =  My Pain Has Distress with Some Coping Problems

Level 6   =  My Pain Has Distress with Significant Coping Problems

Level 7   =  My Pain Is Starting To Interfere With My Ability to Function

Level 8   =  My Pain Is Causing Moderate Interference with My
                   Ability to Function

Level 9   =  My Pain Is Causing Severe Interference with My Ability to
                   Function

Level 10 =  I’m Unable to Function At All Because Of My Pain

To listen to a recent radio interview I did conducted by Mary Woods for her program One Hour at a Time please Click Here to go to this interview.

You can learn more about the Addiction-Free Pain Management® System at our website www.addiction-free.com. If you are working with people in chronic pain and want to learn how to develop a plan for managing their pain and medication effectively go to our Publications page and check out my book the Managing Pain and Coexisting Disorders: Using the Addiction-Free Pain Management® System. To purchase this book please Click Here.

We have a busy fall schedule for upcoming trainings that you can check out on our Calendar page.

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