Dingo Brielle Brennan “I Stand With Ukraine” 🇺🇦

When I used to walk into a patients room, who I knew had been experiencing pain, I would do what I called a “reverse” pain level assessment. The standard assessment is “On a scale of 1-10, 1 being the least pain, and 10 being the most, what number would you give to your pain right now?” The reverse assessment asked “On a scale of 1-10, 1 being the least comfort, and 10 being the most, what number would you give to your comfort right now?” The standard assessment required them to rapidly sort back through all past pain they have felt-thereby bringing THAT pain into their consciousness, and compare it to the pain level they are experiencing in this moment, so they can decide what number is appropriate. The whole process amplifies their pain level, because it it ignites the neural pathways of pain & requires them to focus on PAIN. My reverse assessment asks them to rapidly sort back through all past COMFORT they have ever felt-thereby bringing THAT comfort into their consciousness, and compare it to the comfort level they are experiencing in this moment, so they can decide what number is appropriate. The whole process amplifies their comfort level, because it lights up the neural pathways of comfort, & requires them to focus on COMFORT. Not surprisingly, the patients I was caring for, routinely asked for/needed 15-20% less pain medication than they did during the shift I was relieving, or during the shift that was relieving me, later. This applies to OTHER areas of life, as well. Read it again. There is a part of you that will “get” how this applies to those other areas of life….even if you…don’t. Enjoy.