6 Mistakes Pain Patients Make

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Getting the best care

By Suzanne Levy

It's not uncommon for chronic pain patients to report a difficult encounter with a doctor.

"One of the things that patients cry out the most for is having someone actually listen to them and understand them," says Micke Brown, director of advocacy at the American Pain Foundation.

Andrea Cooper, 52, a fibromyalgia patient and patient advocate in Phoenix, Md., agrees, but also notes that a patient's actions can sometimes make a doctor's job harder.

Here's how to avoid the top six pain patient no-no's.

Next: Arriving unprepared