Factor | Questions to ask the patient | |
P | Precipitating events | What events or activities precipitated the pain or discomfort (e.g., argument, exercise, resting)? |
Q | Quality of pain | What does the pain or discomfort feel like (e.g., pressure, dull, aching, tight, squeezing, heaviness)? |
R | Region (location) and radiation of pain | Can you point to where the pain or discomfort is located? Does the pain or discomfort radiate to other areas (e.g., back, neck, arms, jaw, shoulder, and elbow)? |
S | Severity of pain | On a scale of 0 to 10, with 0 indicating no pain and 10 being the most severe pain you could imagine, what number would you give the pain or discomfort? |
T | Timing | When did the pain or discomfort begin? Has it changed since this time? Have you had pain/discomfort like this before? |