Comments on: If someone can’t talk – how do they tell you they have pain? http://www.blisstree.com/articles/if-someone-cant-talk-how-do-they-tell-you-they-have-pain-276/ Family, Health, Home and Lifestyles Fri, 04 Dec 2009 21:12:15 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: August Pain-Blog Carnival | How To Cope With Pain Blog http://www.blisstree.com/articles/if-someone-cant-talk-how-do-they-tell-you-they-have-pain-276/comment-page-1/#comment-108630 August Pain-Blog Carnival | How To Cope With Pain Blog Wed, 27 Aug 2008 04:15:13 +0000 http://www.helpmyhurt.com/2008/08/12/if-someone-cant-talk-how-do-they-tell-you-they-have-pain/#comment-108630 [...] My Hurt writes an informative post about identifying pain in people who can’t speak or communicate discomfort in [...] [...] My Hurt writes an informative post about identifying pain in people who can’t speak or communicate discomfort in [...]

]]> By: Ellen Schnakenberg http://www.blisstree.com/articles/if-someone-cant-talk-how-do-they-tell-you-they-have-pain-276/comment-page-1/#comment-108054 Ellen Schnakenberg Wed, 20 Aug 2008 06:12:56 +0000 http://www.helpmyhurt.com/2008/08/12/if-someone-cant-talk-how-do-they-tell-you-they-have-pain/#comment-108054 Marijke, I was once blessed with a physician who told me things that were bothering me without me saying a word. It took about 3 seconds for him to assess me, and his questions were very specific, which confused me. When asked how he knew what was bothering me, he told me simple things like, "I see that you're a mouth breather, that usually means sinus issues..." yadda-yadda. That was my intro into the human side of observation guided assessment. I'd kill for a doc like that one again. What happened to them all? I go back into the old medical books from my great-great grandparents and see it mentioned all the time... Marijke,

I was once blessed with a physician who told me things that were bothering me without me saying a word. It took about 3 seconds for him to assess me, and his questions were very specific, which confused me. When asked how he knew what was bothering me, he told me simple things like, “I see that you’re a mouth breather, that usually means sinus issues…” yadda-yadda. That was my intro into the human side of observation guided assessment.

I’d kill for a doc like that one again.

What happened to them all? I go back into the old medical books from my great-great grandparents and see it mentioned all the time…

]]> By: Marijke Durning, RN http://www.blisstree.com/articles/if-someone-cant-talk-how-do-they-tell-you-they-have-pain-276/comment-page-1/#comment-109983 Marijke Durning, RN Mon, 18 Aug 2008 11:42:00 +0000 http://www.helpmyhurt.com/2008/08/12/if-someone-cant-talk-how-do-they-tell-you-they-have-pain/#comment-109983 Thanks Ellen. Yes, we need to get everyone on board with this- sadly it's not something that is as obvious to us as we think it should be. I think I learned most of my nonverbal cuing when I worked in palliative care, watching how our patients slept or when they were sitting alone in their room. Words are definitely not necessary if you are a good observer. I know I need a lot of practice though. Thanks Ellen. Yes, we need to get everyone on board with this- sadly it’s not something that is as obvious to us as we think it should be.

I think I learned most of my nonverbal cuing when I worked in palliative care, watching how our patients slept or when they were sitting alone in their room. Words are definitely not necessary if you are a good observer. I know I need a lot of practice though.

]]> By: Ellen Schnakenberg http://www.blisstree.com/articles/if-someone-cant-talk-how-do-they-tell-you-they-have-pain-276/comment-page-1/#comment-109295 Ellen Schnakenberg Thu, 14 Aug 2008 19:33:03 +0000 http://www.helpmyhurt.com/2008/08/12/if-someone-cant-talk-how-do-they-tell-you-they-have-pain/#comment-109295 Awesome and very helpful post Marijke! I have another similar post in my blog that talks about a new paper that recently came out for physicians, teaching them about some of these very things. Coming from a veterinary background, it seemed so obvious to me to look for these things, it never occurred to me that someone might have to be taught to be observant for these specific clues. There are more too, but you definitely hit on the easiest and best! Now, if we could just get our docs to look at these things too instead of asking someone with aphasia to describe their pain....! Awesome and very helpful post Marijke! I have another similar post in my blog that talks about a new paper that recently came out for physicians, teaching them about some of these very things. Coming from a veterinary background, it seemed so obvious to me to look for these things, it never occurred to me that someone might have to be taught to be observant for these specific clues. There are more too, but you definitely hit on the easiest and best! Now, if we could just get our docs to look at these things too instead of asking someone with aphasia to describe their pain….!

]]> By: Marijke Durning, RN http://www.blisstree.com/articles/if-someone-cant-talk-how-do-they-tell-you-they-have-pain-276/comment-page-1/#comment-109275 Marijke Durning, RN Thu, 14 Aug 2008 14:16:25 +0000 http://www.helpmyhurt.com/2008/08/12/if-someone-cant-talk-how-do-they-tell-you-they-have-pain/#comment-109275 Do you have any hints to add? Do you find this information to be helpful? Do you have any hints to add? Do you find this information to be helpful?

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