Pain Journals Play an Important Role in Your Chronic Pain Journey

Pain journaling is a highly recommended practice by many medical professionals that understand the cycle and the struggle of the chronic pain patient! Whether you've been battling chronic pain for years, or whether you are a fresh new “spoonie”, a pain journal can help you document what you are feeling from day to day. Your pain journal is where you write down everything relating to your chronic pain — what kind of pain you have (burning, stabbing etc.), where the pain is located, what level of pain you are experiencing, what you were doing when the pain began, what makes the pain better or worse and so on.

Why a Pain Journal Works for Chronic Pain

The information that you record daily is useful to both your medical support team and yourself! It helps to identify patterns and triggers and correlations between pain, activity, sleep, diet and more. It also helps to identify if specific times of day are more challenging for you, if particular stresses (both positive and negative stressors) impact your pain and also helps to determine what makes the pain better or worse (heat, cold, sitting, laying etc.). A pain journal allows you to make better decisions on how to plan your day, based on actual evidence that you yourself have recorded, not based on a research study conducted under prescribed conditions. At the very least, it is a good reference when brain fog affects you (for example, if your pain specialist or physician asks if your pain is triggered by activity or a certain position).

What to Include Journal

What exactly do you write in a Chronic Pain Journal? You will eventually find a rhythm that works for you, but it is best practice to include the following:

• Give Your Pain a Scale Rating

• Most pain scales use the 0-10 rating system, with 0 representing no pain and 10 representing the worst imaginable pain. Your pain will usually fall somewhere in between. I have included a pain scale at the end of this article for your use. It is saveable and printable. I suggest printing and laminating it if possible. Then you can reuse it daily with a dry erase marker to track your pain. Use three different colours to note the pain morning, midday and evening.

• Use Pain Descriptor Words

• Does your pain feel like a dull persistent ache? Is it constant? Is it a stabbing sensation? Is your pain burning or cold? Does it tingle or pulsate? Using pain descriptor words in your journal can help you track changes and patterns in your pain quality. It can also help health support team pinpoint your type of pain.

• Track The Time Of Day Pain Occurs

• Do you hurt more in the morning or the evening? How are your afternoons? Is it worse at night during what should be your sleeping hours?

• What Are You Doing When Your Pain Begins?

• Have you been in one position for a prolonged time? Did you just wake up? Were you being physically active or inactive? Were you lifting; how much weight were you lifting? Write down how you feel after activities, such as walking the dog or playing with the kids.

• Consider The Daily Elements That May Affect Your Pain And Pain Levels

• One specific element is humidity and moisture brought on generally by the weather. Another is ambient temperature. Some pain does better with cooler drier temperatures and some does better with hot and moist weather. Do you suffer from stiff joints; does this happen when it's raining or cold outside? When it is excessively hot or cold?

• Write Down What You Eat And Drink In A Day

• Sensitivities to what we consume can sometimes contribute to the chronic pain and inflammation cycle. Make a note each day of what you are eating and drinking and discuss this with your health support team.

• What Was Your Mental State Leading Up To The Pain?

• How does the pain affect your mental and emotional well-being? Do you struggle with feeling depressed, anxious or fatigued? Obviously, the pain might be triggering these emotions, but these feelings may also be contributing to the pain. It is important to speak to your health support team about your mental and emotional health as well as about the physical aspects of your pain.

• Was There Something Specific

• Was there a specific thing that happened that triggered an emotional response?

Do Social Outings And Interaction Exhaust You And Make The Pain Worse?

This could indicate overdoing things physically but can also be a marker for mild depression or social anxiety. It is challenging when we wear a mask in public and can be exhausting. Try surrounding yourself with those that understand your condition and don’t have unrealistic expectations of your physical abilities.

How Long Does The Pain Last

How long does the pain last at full power before the intensity begins to recede?

Did You Need To Take Medications

Do you take prescription or nonprescription medications to help control the pain? This includes creams, salves, essential oils, cbd oil, marijuana etc..

It Is Very Important To Track Your Sleep Quality!

Chronic pain feeds poor sleep quality and quality sleep is when our body’s heal and restore themselves.