To treat pain properly it is necessary to go to the doctor and describe the pain accurately, referencing the area of the body where the pain is greatest, indicating whether it is coin-type or squeezed, for example, informing its frequency and, if there is anything that causes its worsening, such as lifting the leg or exercising, for example.
Only then will your doctor be able to make the correct diagnosis and indicate the most appropriate treatment, which usually included the use of medications, such as acetaminophen, natural treatments such as massages, the application of ice or heat instead of pain or even rest.
- Pain can occur acutely when associated with tooth extraction or menstrual cramping.
- Or chronic when it persists for more than 3 months and is associated.
- For example.
- With rheumatoid arthritis.
- Gout.
- Or some type of cancer.
Depending on the type of pain, treatment usually involves the use of medications recommended by your doctor, such as:
In addition, other ways to relieve pain may include acupuncture or massage, as well as the use of hot or cold compresses or the application of ice at the site, depending on the type of pain and the area where it is presented.
When you see your doctor, you should describe the pain accurately so that your doctor can make a correct diagnosis, so keep in mind:
For the doctor to make the correct diagnosis and indicate the appropriate treatment, it is important to inform the area of the body where the pain is greatest, such as the finger, leg or stomach.
However, referring to the region, it should be as specific as possible, indicating whether it is on the right or left side of the belly or back or if it is in the middle or fingertip, for example.
In addition, when it is not possible to indicate the specific location, you can refer to other parts of the body as a reference, for example, pain in the belly around the belly button, headache near the eyebrow, pain in the leg. near the knee.
The patient who feels pain, in addition to mentioning where he or she feels pain, should describe it by referring to whether it is of the type:
In some cases, in addition to pain, itching and burning can occur, and sometimes pain spreads and radiates to another part of the body.
To evaluate pain intensity, it is recommended to use a scale that helps the patient refer to the degree of pain, such as the numerical scale or facial expression scale.
However, it is important to always use the same scale so that it is possible to compare the intensity of the pain and, to do so, it is necessary to record the assessment, such as “pain grade 3 to 15 hours”.
The frequency of pain is related to the fact that it is constant pain or pain that sometimes appears.
Also, it is important to inform the doctor what aggravates or helps relieve pain, for example, the pain may be more intense during exercise and can be relieved by lying down.
When the patient goes to the doctor he should say, for example: “I have had lower jaw pain for 2 days, which is constant and coin-like and worsens when I eat” or “My chest hurts for 3 hours constantly”, I feel that it is a compression, which radiates to the left arm “.
The following table explains how to correctly describe the pain and help your doctor diagnose the problem.
In addition to describing pain, your doctor may examine the patient’s body to help decide on the best treatment.