When visiting your healthcare provider (i.e. doctor, nurse, nurse practitioner, etc.), it is normal for them to ask you to rate you pain on a scale from 1-10. This can happen during a regular clinic visit, before surgery, or at a follow-up appointment. Rating your pain is important so the healthcare providers know what treatments to provide.

Based on new information about pain and prescribing medication, pain scales like rating pain on a scale from 1-10 may not be the most accurate way to measure someone's pain and understand the pain that can come from daily life and activities.

What is a Functional Pain Assessment?

A functional pain assessment is a tool that a healthcare provider (i.e. doctor, nurse, nurse practitioner, etc.) can use to determine how pain is impacting someone's ability to do everyday activities (i.e. climbing stairs, walking, etc). This is different from the typical pain assessment scale (rating from 1-10) used at the doctor's office, and should help healthcare providers better assess and treat your pain. This will also help healthcare providers be able to better understand the impact pain is having on your everyday life.

Why use a Functional Pain Assessment?

A functional pain assessment can be used by healthcare providers (i.e. doctors, nurse practitioners, etc.) to be able to more accurately assess pain and how it may impact daily life and daily activities. This may also help reduce over-prescribing opioid pain medications by providers.

Examples of Functional Pain Assessments:

• Activities of Daily Living Scale (ADL)

• Functional Pain Assessment Scale (FPAS)

• Functional Independence Measure (FIM)

• Canadian Occupational Performance Assessment (COPM)

Your healthcare provider may prescribe you medicine to help with your pain. The most commonly prescribed medicines for pain are opioids. While opioids can help manage pain, they can also have some serious side effects. It is important to talk with your healthcare provider about the medicines that will be used to manage your pain.