Location: You can show exactly where the pain is on your body or on a drawing of a body and where the pain goes if it travels.
- Intensity or severity: You can write down the degree or severity of pain.
- Aggravating and relieving factors: You can identify factors that increase or decrease the pain.
The goal of pain management is to prevent pain that can be prevented and to treat the pain that can’t be prevented.
- If you have persistent or chronic pain, take your pain medication on a regular schedule (by the clock).
- Do not skip doses of your scheduled pain medicine. If you wait to take pain medicine until you feel pain, it is harder to control.
- Try using relaxation exercises at the same time you take medicine for the pain. Thismay help to lessen tension, anxiety and manage pain.