Description of pain

The words the patient uses to describe the quality or characteristics of their pain give clues to the pain type—see c_agg7-c01-s6.html#agg7-c01-s6__tagg7-c01-tbl2 for descriptors typical of nociceptive, neuropathic and nociplastic pain.

Identifying the type of pain can give a clue to diagnosis. Pain types most commonly associated with painful conditions summarises pain types most commonly associated with painful conditions.

Pain descriptors also give insights into how the patient is reacting to their pain. Pain described as unbearable, intolerable or cruel conveys a qualitatively different pain experience than annoying or uncomfortable.

Preverbal children, and people with severe cognitive or communication difficulties may not be able to provide a description of their pain.

If neuropathic pain is suspected, the quality of the patient’s pain, along with examination findings, is used in screening tools (eg PainDETECT) to determine whether neuropathic pain is probable or confirmed.