How can I work with my doctor to treat my chronic pain?

Manage your chronic pain proactively by building a better doctor-patient relationship. Use these strategies to get the most from your patient-doctor relationship:

Track your pain. Keep a symptom diary to record daily fluctuations in your pain, as well as the habits and activities that could be causing them, and share it with your doctor. Use a numbered scale to more precisely measure how much pain impacts your mood, relationships, sleep, and physical functioning.

Prepare for your appointment. Whether it's your first exam or a follow-up, bring a list of specific pain symptoms along with questions to ask your doc.

Know when to go. Make a doctor's appointment right away if your chronic pain simply won't improve, worsens, or is messing with your sleep, emotional well-being, or ability to function at work and home. Also, alert your doc to any new pain symptoms.

Bottom line: Don't go it alone. Ask your doc to make adjustments to your chronic pain treatment until it brings you the relief you need.

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