Pain assessment tools uk

You may find it useful to complete an assessment chart yourself before you see your doctor so that you can clearly explain your pain and the effects that it is having on you. Healthcare providers can use assessment charts as a means of comparing your expereince of your pain over a period of time, and to determine how effective diferent treatment options areproving to be in modifying the symptoms and effects of the pain.

The most widely used scales fall into the following 3 categories:. Numerical Pain Scales : helps to quantify the intensity of your pain and discomfort using numbers ranging from 0 to Numerical pain scales may include words or descriptions to better label your symptoms, from feeling no pain to experiencing excruciating pain. The usefulness of verbal scales comes from the fact that the expressions are relative, so you focus on the most characteristic quality of your pain.

Visual Pain Scale : have pictures of human anatomy to help you explain where your pain is located. To provide a true interpretation, pain scales are best used as the pain is occurring. Over a period of treatment, the pain scales can be used to verify how your pain changes and to see if treatment is having the intended effect.

Sorted by Relevance. Sort by Date. Showing results 1 to View options for downloading these results. Effective pain control is an important aspect in the management of people with cancer, as highlighted in the NICE cancer service guidance on improving supportive and palliative care for adults with Read Summary. Published by Pediatrics, 01 October This project aimed to identify a pain assessment tool sensitive to the cognitivelyimpaired patient in acute care settings to ensure good pain control and improvedoutcomes for this group of Occasionally pain is continuous Intestinal colic due to bowel obstruction, for example Hepatomegaly, right upper quadrant tenderness Liver pain Sudden onset pain occurring spontaneously or with movement.

Can be severe but may be very short lived Episodic or incident pain Pain in a particular muscle, tenderness over trigger point s Muscle spasm Data from: [ Regnard, ; Back, ]. Examine the patient to try and determine the cause of pain, for example tender hepatomegaly or abnormal sensation. Look particularly for specific points of tenderness which may indicate the site of origin of the pain and signs of neurological deficit, which may suggest spinal cord compression.

A full examination is rarely appropriate in people who are very unwell and in the last stages of life. Consider investigations that are appropriate to the person's condition. Limit investigations to those likely to significantly affect treatment decisions. If the person is near the end of life, investigations are rarely indicated.

They may be performed if a reversible condition may be the cause of their deterioration, or if the person has acute potentially reversible deterioration. If investigations are appropriate, ensure that the person's pain is adequately treated before they undergo diagnostic procedures. For more information on how to prescribe for incident pain such as pain on movement , see Management of breakthrough pain.

Back to top. Burning, shooting, tingling, jagging, altered sensation especially hypersensitivity and allodynia , dermatomal distribution. Crampy, intermittent pain occurring regularly every few minutes. Occasionally pain is continuous. Sudden onset pain occurring spontaneously or with movement. London: BPS. View PDF. Please check that guidance is applicable for your country View page.

London: Royal College of Anaesthetists. Faculty of Pain Medicine Opioids aware: a resource for patients and healthcare professionals to support prescribing of opioid medicines for pain. View page. NHS Choices: 10 ways to reduce pain Information aimed at the public. NHS England: Opioid prescribing for chronic pain. NICE guideline Chronic pain. Please check that guidance is applicable for your country View PDF. NICE guideline Acute pain. Please check that guidance is applicable for your country.

We would like to thank the RCN Pain and Palliative Care member community for their input into the development of this subject guide.