As with any significant symptom, the seven cardinal features of a symptom are:
- Temporal characteristics: “When did it start? What’s happened over time? Constant or intermittent?”
- Location: define area/areas – may be more different pain in more than one location
- Intensity: document patient’s report, NOT your impression of how much pain you think the patient “should” have or appears to have. Use scale - visual analogue scale and verbal scales
- Quality: somatic, visceral, neuropathic (click each for EPERC slides) – the quality type will guide your treatment
- Aggravating /alleviating factors: movement, position, breathing mood, eating, etc.
- Related symptoms