When you go to the doctor, physiotherapist or have a hospital stay, you’ll be
asked to describe your pain on a scale from 1 to 10.
You’ll also be asked about the type of pain that you are experiencing. Pain is not all the same.
You can help your medical professional with the diagnosis. Accurately describe the quality of the pain you are experiencing. Substitute “It hurts!” with one of the following pain descriptors, as listed in the McGill Pain Questionnaire:
- Aching
- Burning
- Crushing
- Dull
- Electric
- Grabbing
- Intermittent
- Itching
- Jabbing
- Numbing
- Piercing
- Pinching
- Pins and Needles
- Pounding
- Pressure
- Pulling
- Pulsating
- Radiating
- Sharp
- Shooting
- Stabbing
- Stinging
- Tearing
- Tenderness
- Throbbing
- Tightness
- Tingling
Are you able to expand upon this list?
Image courtesy of Linda Graindourze.
