Pain Scale

I've seen quite a few pain scales, or charts for explaining the degree of pain someone is experiencing, but none seem to do the job completely. That's why I developed my own, which I'll share with you here. Feel free to use it if it will help you communicate with your medical practitioner.

Jan’s Pain Scale

I. Location: 

A.Where is the pain located?

B. How big is the area? 

C.Can you touch the center of the pain? (If not it might be referred)

II. Type of pain:

A. Aching

B. Burning or stinging

C. Sharp, stabbing

D. Varies (if so, indicate factors)

E. Other

III. Duration:

A. Constant

B. Intermittent (If not constant, indicate factors)

C. Increasing

D. Decreasing

IV. Intensity

A. Can be ignored

B. Mild, can tune it out

C. Always aware of it

D. Severe

E. Extreme - can’t focus on anything else

F. Excruciating, may cause loss of consciousness