Help to Ease Your Pain

An important part of care at Altoona Regional is keeping your pain under control. It will help you eat better, sleep better, move around more easily and enjoy visiting with your family and friends. Our staff will be asking, on a routine basis, about your pain. They may ask about the location, intensity, onset, duration, variation, etc. When describing your pain to the staff, please use the pain scale. Please do not wait until your pain is above the moderate range (4 and above) and severe before you request relief. If your pain is not relieved by your medicine, or if you have any side effects, please tell your doctor or nurse so that something can be done about it.

Family members should advise our staff if they notice their loved one experiencing one or more of the following nonverbal indicators of pain:

Facial wrinkling, blinking eyes, grimacing

Guarding an area of the body

Crying, moaning

Decrease in social interaction/routines

Aggression, e.g., hitting/biting

Increase in body movements

Irritability; increased confusion

Explain to the person that each face is for a person who feels happy because he has no pain (hurt) or sad because he has some or a lot of pain.

Face 0 is very happy because he doesn't hurt at all.
Face 1 hurts just a little bit.
Face 2 hurts a little more.
Face 3 hurts even more.
Face 4 hurts a whole lot.
Face 5 hurts as much as you can imagine, although you don't have to be crying to feel this bad.

Ask the person to choose the face that best describes how he is feeling.



Facts about pain and medication

Pain medications, when given with supervision, are safe and effective. Strong pain medications are rarely addictive when given in this manner.

Medications may be prescribed by your doctor that can help relieve any side effects.

Pain or discomfort may be intensified after operative procedures, certain activity levels and during the healing process.

Taking pain medication prior to walking or exercising with physical therapy can make that activity more tolerable and perhaps help speed your recovery.