Ideally, doctors need every detail possible about your daily pain levels to treat you effectively. Because it’s impossible to remember every detail, dedicate a composition notebook to your pain details. Keep this diary near you and record dates and times for all pain milestones. Note the time that the pain begins and its intensity level. Remember to write down when the pain ended. It’s important to note if you took any pain-control measures during that uncomfortable episode.

Ask yourself if you stretched or took a prescription pill. Document when you performed the pain-control method and if you feel like it worked. It’s even important to write down if you used any mental relaxation techniques, such as deep breathing. Your doctor can use this information to treat you more effectively in the future. They may even scan the information into your medical chart and create a detailed account of your treatment, too.