Depicting their pain is as simple as describing it as it happens. For example, “her fingers hurt,” “she massaged her hurting fingers,” or “she curled her fingers unknowingly to ease the painful rigidness.” Be careful not to overdo it with too frequent mentions though.
People can express pain verbally or through changes in behavior, such as crying, moaning, groaning, facial grimacing, restlessness, agitation, or depression.
A pain message is transmitted to the brain by specialized nerve cells known as nociceptors, or pain receptors (pictured in the circle to the right). When pain receptors are stimulated by temperature, pressure or chemicals, they release neurotransmitters within the cells.
Some common synonyms of suffering are agony, distress, and misery. While all these words mean "the state of being in great trouble," suffering implies conscious endurance of pain or distress.
“Just like there's always time for pain, there's always time for healing.” “I think that little by little I'll be able to solve my problems and survive.” “We are healed of a suffering only by experiencing it to the full.” “The practice of forgiveness is our most important contribution to the healing of the world.”
Some common synonyms of misery are agony, distress, and suffering. While all these words mean "the state of being in great trouble," misery stresses the unhappiness attending especially sickness, poverty, or loss.
Patients should be asked to describe their pain in terms of the following characteristics: location, radiation, mode of onset, character, temporal pattern, exacerbating and relieving factors, and intensity. The Joint Commission updated the assessment of pain to include focusing on how it affects patients' function.
Pain level ten means unimaginable pain. This pain level is so intense you will go unconscious shortly. Most people have never experienced this level of pain.