RAD Pain Scale – Take One

Published January 9, 2012 | By Tanya Martin

Today I finished a Pain Scale, a request from RA Warrior “What would be your model pain scale? “. It is an attempt to customize a pain scale for Rheumatoid Arthritis. I had to think about different types of pain. What are the types of pain? What can cause a person physical pain? Some of my thoughts were about bee stings, sunburns, sprained bones, strained muscles, broken bones, torn muscles, headaches, migraines, cuts, surgery, childbirth, being ran over by a truck and even torture. What type of pain would a bee sting cause? I would think it would be acute pain, it can be intense but is usually short lived. Does that even matter?

Most people with RAD (Rheumatoid Autoimmune Disease aka Rheumatoid Arthritis) live with chronic pain daily. I have read that pain receptors are sensitive to temperature (hot or cold), vibration as well inflamation. Inflammation happens when you are cut, you sprain something or when you are hit by a truck (tissue damage, broken bones, etc). When that happens if you move the damaged area the pain usually gets worse or sharper. With RAD you never see the truck coming, but it hits you. If you were to get hit by a truck and survive, you would probably have months of pain, recovery and rehabilitation. With Rheumatoid Arthritis this becomes our lifestyle.

I attempted to create a chart that describes some of the types of pain that someone with Rheumatoid Arthritis would recognize easily. But since I am just one patient, it would need more input on how they might describe the pain. I also made section for recommendations which I think individual patients would have to fill in. I put an example of something they may write to allow family members to see what help they may need during those levels of pain. They may not be able to communicate or think clearly enough ask.

Then a ‘May Compare To’ section to come up with a way to describe to others (family, friends, medical communities) and for Awareness of Rheumatoid Autoimmune Disease. Again just a section that should have more input from many RAD Patients.

My first try at a pain scale for Rheumatoid Arthritis.

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Please help support Rheumatoid Patient Foundation by making a donation today. Pain is just one symptom of RAD learn more about Rheumatoid Autoimmune Disease (also called Rheumatoid Arthritis or RA).

—Update 1/9/2012 @ 12:49 PM—–

This article was a part of Pain Scale Blog Carnival at RAWarrior.com which has 14 other Patient opinions on pain scales.