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Macmillan and Cancerbackup merged in 2008. Together we provide free, high quality information for people affected by cancer through our publications, website and phone service. Find out more| .
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Describing your pain as fully as you can will help your doctors and nurses to work out the best way of treating it.
Where is the pain? Is it in one part of your body or in more than one place? Does it start in one place and gradually spread during the day?
What is the pain like? You can use the words below to describe your pain. Use any that are appropriate.
Aching Gnawing Pins and needles Annoying Hot Pricking Biting Hurting Radiating Blinding Intense Scratchy Blunt Intermittent Searing (comes and goes) Burning Mild Sore Cold Miserable Splitting Constant Moderate Spreading Cutting Nagging Stabbing Crawling Nauseating Stinging Crushing Niggling Tender Dragging Numbness Throbbing Dull Overwhelming Tingling Electric-shock like Penetrating Tiring Excruciating Piercing Unbearable
Aching Gnawing Pins and needles
Annoying Hot Pricking
Biting Hurting Radiating
Blinding Intense Scratchy
Blunt Intermittent Searing (comes and goes)
Burning Mild Sore
Cold Miserable Splitting
Constant Moderate Spreading
Cutting Nagging Stabbing
Crawling Nauseating Stinging
Crushing Niggling Tender
Dragging Numbness Throbbing
Dull Overwhelming Tingling
Electric-shock like Penetrating Tiring
Excruciating Piercing Unbearable
Have you had similar pain before? Is it similar to any other pain you have had, like toothache or cramp?
Is the pain near the surface of your body or deep inside?
How bad is it? Try to rate your pain by comparing it with pain you have experienced before, such as headache, back or period pain, sports injury or childbirth.
Is it mild, moderate, severe or very severe? Or if you measured it on a scale of 0 to 10, how would you rate it? 0 means that you have no pain and 10 is severe pain (the worst that you have ever had).
Does anything make the pain better or worse? Do you feel better standing, sitting or lying down? Does a hot-water bottle or ice-pack help? Is it relieved by painkillers, such as paracetamol or aspirin? Do the painkillers stop the pain, or just reduce it? For how long? Can you distract yourself by reading, or with music, TV, etc?
Is the pain there all the time? Does it come and go? Does it go if you sit still? Does it get worse if you move around? Is it worse at night? Does it keep you awake? Does it wake you?
How does the pain affect your daily life? Does it stop you from bending or stretching for something? Does it stop you from sitting for very long – to eat a meal, for example? Does the pain stop you from concentrating to read, or affect your sleep? Does it stop you from walking for short or long distances?
Don't feel that you are being a nuisance or making a fuss by talking about your pain. Go into as much detail as you can.
It can help to keep a record of your pain – listing how bad it is at different times of the day and noting anything that makes it better or worse. This can help you to discuss your pain with the doctors or nurses looking after you. Some hospitals will give you a pain chart.
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If you have any questions about cancer, need support or just want someone to talk to, ask Macmillan.
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