When seeing a neurologist, pain management doctor, or other practitioner, it is important to remember the following:
Doctors are trained to identify pain with non emotional descriptive words, such as aching, burning, cramping, pinching, etc.
Doctors do not identify with emotional metaphors when describing pain. For example, The pain is ripping my face off. Or, I feel like someone is stabbing me with a knife.
This type of pain description is less likely to get you a proper diagnosis for your pain. It is also likely to raise suspicions about your mental health status; facial pain is still thought by many doctors to be psychologically manifested by the brain itself. There is no medical entity for psychogenic pain.
For assistance with these pain descriptors, please consult the McGill Pain Questionnaire. This is the list of words doctors use to gain information about your pain. Some words are not included for neuropathic pain, such as electric, shocking, buzzing or crawling. It is acceptable to use these words with your doctor, as they are non emotional words. The McGill Pain Questionnaire can be found through Google.
Sometimes it is helpful to draw a smiley face on paper and label the areas where you have pain. Writing the words below can be useful, especially if it is too painful to speak at the appointment.
Before you arrive to your appointment, become as fluent as possible in the language of your disorder. This will improve your communication with your doctor and help to confirm a diagnosis. Words matter, because they dictate the treatment we receive. If your pain is too severe, then simply concentrate on learning the basic pain descriptors.
Refrain from emotional commentary. Dress professionally. Do not make jokes during your appointment. Several of my colleagues have told me they judge a patient by their emotional outbursts and how they look in the office. If you are in a joking fashion, your level of pain is immediately discredited. Being of the female gender exponentially raises these risk factors.
If you must bring a companion to the visit, bring a spouse or partner if applicable. Otherwise, go alone if your pain allows. Doctors find it strange when adults bring their parents or friends to a consultation. This usually results in adversarial treatment.
Know the basics. Educate yourself. Learn the language. Ask questions. Challenge assumptions. Know your rights. Refrain from emotion. Be informed!
the researcher