Pain is one of the most common reasons people seek immediate medical care, whether in an urgent care or emergency room.
Unfortunately, there is no test for pain, so an accurate description is the only way for doctors and nurses to understand how you feel to make a diagnosis. That's because pain is usually caused by a medical condition. Your ability to make your voice heard is the best way to help your doctor find out what's wrong to address your pain.
If you're dealing with a health crisis, AdventHealth doctors and nurses will focus on your whole-person health, including your body, mind and spirit. We understand that anxiety can heighten pain, so putting you at ease is more than compassionate care — it's good medicine.
We've put together some important tips and talking points to help make your treatment in the urgent care or emergency room as effective as possible.
Asking the Right Questions
Listening is a big part of compassion. And when it comes to pain, it can be frustrating to feel like you're not heard. During a crisis, severe pain can make it especially difficult to concentrate on the details of your discomfort. Doctors will do their best to understand, but if you can answer questions in a clear, straightforward way, your care team can diagnose your problem faster.
It may help to describe your pain to someone else first so they can help communicate with your doctor.
1. Where is the pain?
It’s important to be as precise as possible since pain can originate from anywhere on your body, indicating a different reason for the pain.
Pain in the "upper right abdomen" is a better description than "stomach pain." And mention that detail if your pain moves around — perhaps it radiates elsewhere in the body.
2. When does the pain occur?
Perhaps you experience pain in the morning or at night before bed. It may also hurt when you exercise or sit for long periods. Unless a recent injury causes your pain, consider whether you experience pain at other points in the day.
3. How long have you been in pain?
It’s important to reflect on when your pain started. We know this can be difficult, but a good tip is to think about key moments near the injury. Doing this may help you identify the source of your pain.
4. What type of pain is it?
We’ve all felt different kinds of pain, whether it’s a throbbing headache, a burn from a stovetop or a cut from a knife.
Describing your pain in terms such as "sharp and stabbing,” “burning,” “shooting” or “dull and aching" may help your doctors determine the cause of your pain.
5. How bad does it hurt?
Your doctor may ask you to rate your pain on a scale from 1 to 10, where 10 is the worst pain you can imagine. Each number can mean different things to different people, so here's how doctors may interpret the number you choose.
If you're seeking immediate help for pain, it's probably above mild pain or levels one through three.
Pain is believed to interfere with daily life at level four, but it can be ignored until level six.
Severe pain is considered disabling, preventing you from carrying out normal activities, and starts at level seven. At level nine, pain is excruciating, and a patient at level 10 would probably not be able to hold a conversation about it.
Find the Right Setting
If you have long-term back pain, the emergency room may not be your best option. Unless your pain is intolerable, consider setting up an appointment with your primary care doctor.
Likewise, urgent care may be better than the emergency room, even for immediate pain. Urgent care is a quick and affordable option, and they treat more conditions than you may think.
Perhaps you or a child has an ear infection that's causing pain. In this case, your best bet is probably to consider urgent care. But there are some types of pain, like chest pain, that should lead you straight to an emergency room.
No matter which of our facilities you visit, we provide whole-person care, treating you in body, mind and spirit.
Record Your Pain
Unless pain sends you to urgent care or the emergency room right away, write down some specifics about your pain. Record when you first felt pain and whether an activity like eating or exercising may have triggered it.
Prepare if You Can
Clearly describing your pain when you're living it can be a difficult request. However, if you bring a companion, consider talking about your pain with them to help you practice and so they can help you communicate if need be.
Persist Through the Pain
We know that caring for the mind is part of healing the body. It’s important to consider your outlook during health crises. We know it’s hard to maintain a positive attitude during the moment, but if we can help you communicate about your pain, it will help us provide better care.
Unfortunately, your pain may not go away immediately or in the coming days. That’s why your doctor's goal may be to reduce your pain to a level where it doesn't interfere with your daily activities.
Follow Up With Your Doctor
Be sure to bring up your pain with your primary care physician, who may not know about an emergency department visit unless you tell them. Your regular doctor is the one who is best suited to help you come up with a long-term plan to treat your pain.
Whether in urgent care or the emergency department, our AdventHealth physicians are ready to listen to you about your pain. If urgent care fits your needs, visit your local AdventHealth Centra Careor find your nearest ER. You deserve to feel whole.
