The Pain Scale

HurricaneHeather · 06-02-2009, 02:02 PM

I just wanted to know what other people consider a '10' on the pain scale(you know, rate your pain on a scale of 1-10, 10 being the worst).

I feel that the 10 gets abused by a lot of people and it bothers me.

To me, 10 is: I am about to die from pain, give me something so I can pass quietly.

Also, to those who work in the medical field, how do respond when someone says they are at a 10?

AND, is 10 the worst pain you can imagine, or the worst pain you've ever felt. Those can be very different things.

This is spawned partly from a couple of comedians and partly from the dumb bitch I had to share a room with at the hospital.

BobTheBiker · 06-02-2009, 02:08 PM

to me, the 10 on the pain scale is having limbs remove with butterknives and having salt with rubbign alcohol poured into the wounds. now I hear a lot of people whine that breaking nails or scratches hurt, fuckin pussies.

Archren · 06-02-2009, 02:12 PM

I have a pretty high pain tolerance if I'm in the right mood.

But I'll be the first to admit I'm a baby about pain if I'm already in a pissy mood. Little things get to me easier, but it's not that the pain is worse, I just have no patience for dealing with it.

That being said.. I'd say a 10 as far as worst pain imaginable would be like what Bob described above... 10 as far as worst pain experienced so far is probably childbirth.

skiergirl · 06-02-2009, 02:19 PM

I've had surgery and they always ask you that. I have broken ribs/fingers/nose and had bones reset, sprains, etc I have even had abdominal surgery and I would say the most pain ever would still only be a 5-6 on the pain scale to me.

I consider 10 to be like you said...please give me something so I can die quietly kind of pain.

CrazyKell · 06-02-2009, 02:19 PM

The pain scale is subjective so it's kind of a pointless argument.

Besides, endorphins and adrenaline kick in for a lot of things so while getting your leg cut off with a butterknife might *sound* like it's more painful than a papercut....the mental reality of the situation is that it might not be. (examples chosen to highlight the polarity

)

I have a somewhat high tolerance to pain but for me it depends on how it grates on my physically. I walk with pain in my foot and tailbone every single step...every single day.

I'm used to the pain.

Curb · 06-02-2009, 02:20 PM

even when i got hit by the car that caused my accident wasn't a 10 in my book. to me a 10 is when nothing you do can eleviate the pain....no pain killers nothing. last week i got a shooting pain on my back about half way down. it was making me nautious and nothing i did would eleviate it, it literally felt like that someone was cutting out my kidney with a butter knife...

HurricaneHeather · 06-02-2009, 02:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CrazyKell

The pain scale is subjective so it's kind of a pointless argument.

That is exactly my point. Why is it used if it's subjective. If I say 5 for something and you say 2 for the same thing , does that automatically mean I get more drugs?

This is where I would like some feedback from the medical people. Especially the ones that work in an ER.

cbrchick · 06-02-2009, 02:24 PM

It's a bit of a pain in the ass kinda scale. Rarely do I get someone with a freak'n clue that can quantify their pain in a realistic manner. So I help them out.

I say... 'If 10 is having your legs cut off, your body set on fire and acid poured on the flames... and 0 is no pain... where is your pain now?"

Some people will say "10" as they sip a coffee (complaining of abdo pain mind you).

With women, 10 can be child birth - so they can quantify it pretty good at times.

Men on the other hand are more wimpy and everything is a 10.

I'll ask patient's their history of injuries and use those as a starting point. Someone might have only ever broken a finger, and that would be their 10. So sometimes that gives them an idea of their perception (and mine) of pain.

I usually give small amount of narcotics to the unrealistic peeps and then explain to them that if it was a "10" 2.5 mg of Morphine wouldn't have helped. Sometimes we give tylenol

I love the ones that tell me "Dilauded" is the only thing that works for their pain. And those that say "I have a high pain tolerance". (People don't understand pain tolerance).

My father has a high pain tolerance and he's hard to sedate. Old ladies that have had 20 kids, the same.

A lot of younger, middle-aged unhealthy men and women are whinners. Drug addicts are worse.

The really sick, hurting people don't complain like you'd think. They are in too much pain to do anything else but exist.

wildchild · 06-02-2009, 02:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HurricaneHeather

That is exactly my point. Why is it used if it's subjective. If I say 5 for something and you say 2 for the same thing , does that automatically mean I get more drugs?

This is where I would like some feedback from the medical people. Especially the ones that work in an ER.

they just ask it so they know if you'll be entertaining to watch as you suffer waiting to be seen. LOL

worst pain I've felt was nearly ripping my finger completely off when a ring got caught in a vehicle as well as ripping open my arma little bit at the same time. I tried to avoid the doctors saying it only hurt a little. yeah 52 stitches later it still hurt a little. LOL

a 10 would have to be writhing in pain and can't function at all because of the pain.

cbrchick · 06-02-2009, 02:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HurricaneHeather

That is exactly my point. Why is it used if it's subjective. If I say 5 for something and you say 2 for the same thing , does that automatically mean I get more drugs?

This is where I would like some feedback from the medical people. Especially the ones that work in an ER.

We give drugs as we see fit. Not really based just on a pain scale. It just gives us an idea if the interventions we are use are working. If your pain starts at a "10" and I give you drugs, and then ask 5 mins later what your pain is post drugs, and you say "5" then I know it's working. But other things like physical symptoms, vitals, that sorta thing... those go along with our decision to continue treating or not.

Like someone having chest pain. We don't use narcotics right off, we start with nitro if their story fits, sometimes just oxygen first, and we go by blood work, EKGs and vitals. The pain scale thingy is just a small part of the process.

We can tell when people are full of shit, and we'll document such. IE: someone stating they are having 9/10 pain but yet is going out for smokes and laughing and talking with their family.

06-02-2009, 02:02 PM	#1
HurricaneHeather AMA Supersport Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Sydney Moto: '98 Honda Fireblade Posts: 3,696	The Pain Scale I just wanted to know what other people consider a '10' on the pain scale(you know, rate your pain on a scale of 1-10, 10 being the worst). I feel that the 10 gets abused by a lot of people and it bothers me. To me, 10 is: I am about to die from pain, give me something so I can pass quietly. Also, to those who work in the medical field, how do respond when someone says they are at a 10? AND, is 10 the worst pain you can imagine, or the worst pain you've ever felt. Those can be very different things. This is spawned partly from a couple of comedians and partly from the dumb bitch I had to share a room with at the hospital.

06-02-2009, 02:12 PM	#3
Archren Sham WOW Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: ATX Moto: 2007 Ducati 1098 Posts: 2,741	I have a pretty high pain tolerance if I'm in the right mood. But I'll be the first to admit I'm a baby about pain if I'm already in a pissy mood. Little things get to me easier, but it's not that the pain is worse, I just have no patience for dealing with it. That being said.. I'd say a 10 as far as worst pain imaginable would be like what Bob described above... 10 as far as worst pain experienced so far is probably childbirth. __________________ Photography "The Vincent was like a bullet that went straight; the Ducati is like the magic bullet that went sideways and hit JFK and the Governor of Texas at the same time. It was impossible." - Hunter S. Thompson, Song of the Sausage Creature "Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind." -Dr. Seuss

06-02-2009, 02:20 PM	#6
Curb resident gimp Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: SoFla Moto: a big ole steamin pile of nothin Posts: 1,344	even when i got hit by the car that caused my accident wasn't a 10 in my book. to me a 10 is when nothing you do can eleviate the pain....no pain killers nothing. last week i got a shooting pain on my back about half way down. it was making me nautious and nothing i did would eleviate it, it literally felt like that someone was cutting out my kidney with a butter knife... __________________ Steve Political correctness is killing this country

06-02-2009, 02:08 PM	#2
BobTheBiker too much time on my hands Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: the northern district of god damn Moto: 01 ZX6R, looking for more now. Posts: 1,802	to me, the 10 on the pain scale is having limbs remove with butterknives and having salt with rubbign alcohol poured into the wounds. now I hear a lot of people whine that breaking nails or scratches hurt, fuckin pussies.

06-02-2009, 02:19 PM	#4
skiergirl Gixxer Girl Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Kyle, TX Moto: 05 GSXR 750 & 06 YZ250F Posts: 1,424	I've had surgery and they always ask you that. I have broken ribs/fingers/nose and had bones reset, sprains, etc I have even had abdominal surgery and I would say the most pain ever would still only be a 5-6 on the pain scale to me. I consider 10 to be like you said...please give me something so I can die quietly kind of pain.

06-02-2009, 02:19 PM	#5
CrazyKell Vrooom Join Date: Nov 2008 Moto: 06 ZX6R Posts: 4,427	The pain scale is subjective so it's kind of a pointless argument. Besides, endorphins and adrenaline kick in for a lot of things so while getting your leg cut off with a butterknife might sound like it's more painful than a papercut....the mental reality of the situation is that it might not be. (examples chosen to highlight the polarity ) I have a somewhat high tolerance to pain but for me it depends on how it grates on my physically. I walk with pain in my foot and tailbone every single step...every single day. I'm used to the pain.

06-02-2009, 02:24 PM	#8
cbrchick Canyon Carver Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada Moto: Honda CBR 600, Yamaha Zuma 50, Suzuki SV1000 Posts: 395	It's a bit of a pain in the ass kinda scale. Rarely do I get someone with a freak'n clue that can quantify their pain in a realistic manner. So I help them out. I say... 'If 10 is having your legs cut off, your body set on fire and acid poured on the flames... and 0 is no pain... where is your pain now?" Some people will say "10" as they sip a coffee (complaining of abdo pain mind you). With women, 10 can be child birth - so they can quantify it pretty good at times. Men on the other hand are more wimpy and everything is a 10. I'll ask patient's their history of injuries and use those as a starting point. Someone might have only ever broken a finger, and that would be their 10. So sometimes that gives them an idea of their perception (and mine) of pain. I usually give small amount of narcotics to the unrealistic peeps and then explain to them that if it was a "10" 2.5 mg of Morphine wouldn't have helped. Sometimes we give tylenol I love the ones that tell me "Dilauded" is the only thing that works for their pain. And those that say "I have a high pain tolerance". (People don't understand pain tolerance). My father has a high pain tolerance and he's hard to sedate. Old ladies that have had 20 kids, the same. A lot of younger, middle-aged unhealthy men and women are whinners. Drug addicts are worse. The really sick, hurting people don't complain like you'd think. They are in too much pain to do anything else but exist.