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Chiropractic Podcast

Explain Your Pain To A Doctor




El Paso TX. Chiropractor, Dr. Alex Jimenez discusses ways to assist you to get the care you’ll need at your next appointment.

 I’ve been treating patients with severe and chronic pain from around the corner in Rutherford, New Jersey to as far away as Australia and South Africa.

From our patient’s first reference to the past treatment office visit, the success of any pain treatment we prescribe is contingent upon us (the health care provider) correctly treating the root cause of your pain.

As the patient, just describing your intense pain or neuropathic pain is a high stakes” conversation that is “. I am able to read your medical history, attributing lab results and physician reports, however this really is secondary to understanding each patient’s pain mechanics. It is absolutely vital this is communicated to your pain management provider as correctly as possible.

For those fighting “invisible pain” such as fibromyalgia, CRPS (complex areas pain syndrome), RSD (reflex sympathetic dystrophy), diabetic neuropathy or long-term pain after cancer treatment, correctly communicating the place, frequency and depth of the discomfort can be especially demanding and emotionally taxing.

You might wish to bring this short article for your next doctor visit and go over each of the key pain description points I’ve outlined below.

I really hope your doctor will ask you these questions, but if not, you are able to behave as your own pain promoter and offer this information.

“Tell Me About Your Pain”

Based upon your medical records, we already know the reason behind your pain (injury or ailment). In order to restart your highest quality of life possible, our goal would be to remove or minimize this symptom.

Pain symptoms are private, subjective –and unique. (What Joe describes as “unbearable pain” could be considered “fairly disagreeable pain” to Mike). Through the years, I developed my own “pain diagnostic” conversation with patients to assist my team and I understand what, where, when and just how much pain patients are feeling.

I’ve outlined key points below:

Time Matters

This is key to a proper analysis. Don’t presume we know you’ve combated with this pain to get a month a year or a decade.

1.I’ve had this pain for _________________.

2.How frequently and how long does it last?

3.What ignites (flare) or lessens your pain and for how long?


Location, Location, Location




Graphic of a human body with a rear & front view (see above)


Doctors may instruct you to indicate the area/s where your pain is concentrated. They may also request that you notice a difference between pain which is on pain and the surface that’s below the surface.

The front and back of the unisex individual figure are the most identifiable, although this tool comes from the McGill Pain Questionnaire including other measurements.

Most referring physicians, regardless of their medical specialty, utilize 1 to 10 point pain scale that is simple, so I keep everyone on the same page.

This tool comes from the McGill Pain Questionnaire including other measurements, but the front and back of the unisex person body are the most identifiable.


How Bad Is Your Pain – Measurement Tool





Simply said, take into consideration where your pain level falls the majority of the time—unless you experience extreme pain changes.

No Pain

0 – Painfree

Manageable Pain

1 – Pain is quite mild, barely noticeable. You don’t think about it.

2 – Small pain. Annoying and may have occasional twinges that are stronger.

3 – Pain distracting and is noticeable, you may get used to it and adapt.


Moderate Pain—Disrupts Regular Day-To-Day Living Tasks

4 – Moderate pain. If you should be deeply in an action, it may be blown off to get a time frame, but is diverting.

5 – Moderately strong pain. It can’t be dismissed for more than a few minutes, but you still can manage to work or participate in some social activities.

6 – Rather strong pain that interferes with normal daily activities. Difficulty focusing.

Severe Pain—Disabling; Debilitating, Reduces Daily Quality Of Life, Cannot Live Independently

7– Severe pain that dominates your senses and significantly restricts your capability to perform ordinary daily tasks or maintain social relationships. Interferes with sleep.

8– Intense pain. Physical action is seriously limited. Conversing requires great exertion.

9. Not able to converse. Weeping outside or moaning uncontrollably.

10– Unspeakable pain. Perhaps and bedridden delirious. Mobility may be undermined.


“My Pain Feels Like…”

Most of the time, patients experience one or two consistent pain “feelings” but some can experience a variety of sensations.

The most common pain kinds are:

  • Sharp stabbing pain

  • Extreme heat or burning sensation

  • Extreme cold

  • Throbbing, inflamed tissue

  • Susceptibility to contact / touching

  • Itching

  • Numbness, tingling, pins & needles

Create A Pain Journal





I motivate patients or their family members to document a weeklong pain cycle till they meet with chiropractic, their pain management or alternative medicine team.

Additionally, jot down any treatments or activities that lessen or increase your discomfort.

As an example, maybe you have discovered that hot showers or cold weather allows you to feel worse, but exercise or Epsom salt baths makes the pain more manageable.

If you come prepared with all this information, your time with all the physician can be spent focusing on next steps and also a treatment plan, rather than a lengthy Q & A review of the information supplied here.

More importantly, addressing these issues beforehand will ensure your physician receives up-to-date, higher quality information.

Consequently, your case could be assessed more quickly and a pain management plan can be placed into action to begin removing or reducing your suffering as rapidly and efficiently as possible.

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The information herein is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional, licensed physician, and is not medical advice. We encourage you to make your own health care decisions based on your research and partnership with a qualified health care professional. Our information scope is limited to chiropractic, musculoskeletal, physical medicines, wellness, sensitive health issues, functional medicine articles, topics, and discussions. We provide and present clinical collaboration with specialists from a wide array of disciplines. Each specialist is governed by their professional scope of practice and their jurisdiction of licensure. We use functional health & wellness protocols to treat and support care for the injuries or disorders of the musculoskeletal system. Our videos, posts, topics, subjects, and insights cover clinical matters, issues, and topics that relate to and support, directly or indirectly, our clinical scope of practice.* Our office has made a reasonable attempt to provide supportive citations and has identified the relevant research study or studies supporting our posts. We provide copies of supporting research studies available to regulatory boards and the public upon request. We understand that we cover matters that require an additional explanation of how it may assist in a particular care plan or treatment protocol; therefore, to further discuss the subject matter above, please feel free to contact us. Dr. Alex Jimenez DC, MSACP, CCST, IFMCP*, CIFM*, ATN* email: coach@elpasofunctionalmedicine.com phone: 915-850-0900 Licensed in: Texas & New Mexico*