Using the Pain Scale to Treat Back Pain

The pain scale is widely used in the medical world to communicate with and to patients about their pain. However, if you’ve never experienced severe or chronic pain, you may not even be aware of the pain scale, or how to use it. In this article, we are going to explain the standard pain scale used in the medical world to help diagnose patient pain.

The Pain Scale

Every patient experiences pain in their own way and many are unable to fully articulate the pain they are experiencing. The pain scale is a tool used by medical professionals to make a subjective thing (pain) as objective as possible. The scale goes from 0 to 10, with 0 being no pain at all and 10 being unbearable pain. Typically the scale is accompanied by cartoon faces that correspond with the pain levels. Here is a quick breakdown of the scale:

• 0 – No pain at all
• 1-3 – Mild Pain
• 4-6 – Moderate to Severe Pain
• 7-9 – Very Severe Pain
• 10 – Unbearable Pain

Communicating with your Doctor

If you are suffering from a back injury or condition, your doctor will likely ask you to rate your pain on the 0-10 scale. They do this to get a general sense of how you are feeling. During subsequent appointments, they will ask you for your pain level again to mark any improvement. Answer to the best of your abilities when asked.

If your back pain has become unbearable and is preventing you from accomplishing everyday tasks, seek medical aid for your pain. A spine specialist can diagnose the full scope of your condition and get to the bottom of what’s causing your back pain. If surgery is recommended, consider an Inspired Spine procedure. The Inspired OLLIF and Inspired MIS-DTIF were developed by expert spinal surgeons with the patient in mind. These procedures are study backed, and their benefits include: shorter operating times, no overnight hospital stays, and quicker recovery periods compared to other procedures Contact us today to learn more about these surgeries and see if you are a candidate.