Watch for surprises and patterns
You may notice some unusual connections. The stress of making dinner in the evening may cause that stabbing pain to return, or an argument with your daughter may make your back hurt more than usual.
Andrea Cooper, 52, of Phoenix, Md., has found her pain diary invaluable for keeping track of her fibromyalgia. "I saw that my pain would peak at certain times of the day," she says. "Even when I was on pain medication, I still found the pain had an upward climb at the end of day. I was able to take that to the doctor, and when he looked at it he said 'Gee whiz, your pain medicine is not getting you through the day. We need to do something about that spike.' He changed my medication and things improved."
Don't get addicted to the pain diary
Cooper does warn, however, of the danger of focusing so much on your pain that you obsessively fill in an entry every hour of the day. "That can backfire," she says, because "we all know that focusing on something that's bothering us will make it worse."
Cooper takes quick notes during the day and then writes a longer entry at the end of the day.
Download a pain diary
The not-for-profit American Pain Foundation has an excellent pain notebook that you can download for free. Also check out our print-and-carry list of what to keep in your pain diary.
Advertisement
Editor's Pick
Advertisement
