Living with chronic pain is challenging to put into words, even for those experiencing it. A few good days can make you forget just how tough the bad days feel, which is why keeping a journal of your symptoms can be so valuable when talking with your doctor.
Chronic pain doesn’t just hurt—it can affect your work, school, home life, and the activities you enjoy most. Tracking your symptoms in a pain diary gives both you and your care team a clearer picture of what you’re going through. Let’s explore why it helps and how to get started.
At Pain Care Florida, patients are provided with their own pain journals to help track daily symptoms, triggers, and responses to treatment. These journals become a helpful tool during appointments, offering your doctor a clearer picture of how your pain affects you over time.
What Is a Pain Journal (or Diary)?
A pain journal is a simple, daily record where you document your pain experiences. Noting things like how much pain you’re in that day, exactly how it feels, what you’re doing, and what else might affect it. It’s a powerful tool that goes beyond the typical “on a scale of 1–10” and helps both you and your doctor understand your lived experience better.[1]
Getting Started: How to Begin a Pain Journal
First, choose the format you’re comfortable with and can maintain. Choose what works best for you: a notebook, journal, voice recordings, or a digital app.
Effective pain journaling requires consistency. Try to jot down your details at the same time every day so it becomes a habit—maybe first thing in the morning or as part of your bedtime routine.
Please keep it simple at first. Just jotting down a few lines each day can build a helpful habit.
If your doctor asks how you’ve been feeling and you immediately “draw a blank”, let your journal be your voice! Remember to bring it to every appointment!
What to Include in Your Pain Journal
No two people feel or describe pain in precisely the same way. Pain is subjective—it’s personal, and no test can truly measure it.[2] Keeping a pain diary can help paint a clearer picture of what you’re experiencing. The more details you record, the easier it will be to share and explain your pain to your healthcare team.
Here’s what makes a pain journal truly useful:
- Date and time: this builds a timeline.
- Pain intensity: use a scale (0–10) and descriptive language.
- Pain location: be specific: lower back, right shoulder, front of thigh, etc.
- Quality of pain: is it sharp, dull, throbbing, or burning?
- Triggers or relieving factors: note what made it better or worse.
- Activities and mood: what were you doing or feeling when the pain started?
- Medication or therapy: what did you try, and did it help?
Be Descriptive: Use Adjectives and Metaphors to Paint the Full Picture
Descriptive words help your doctor truly feel what you’re going through. Instead of saying “ache,” try “burning,” or “gnawing,”. Metaphors really help get your point across when you say, “My pain feels like a hot poker through my foot.[3] This nuance matters because words shape how your provider perceives your experience.
Health Central recommends trying some of these descriptions:
- Aching
- Burning
- Electric
- Tingling
- Stabbing
- Shooting
- Numb
- Radiating (to where)
- Static (staying in one place) or moving
- More intense in one area
- Dull, diffuse, and hard to define
- Worse at different times of the day and night
- Worse when you move a certain way
- Improved when moving a certain way
How Journaling Helps You Talk More Effectively with Your Doctor
When the doctor asks, “How have you been this week?” you’re ready to respond in detail! You have information like patterns of morning stiffness, pain that flares after walking, or mood dips before flare-ups. Studies show that pain diaries help patients recognize patterns and share more accurate reports, which supports personalized care.[4]
Benefits of Tracking Your Daily Pain and Symptoms
- Identify patterns and triggers, such as stress or specific activities that may be contributing to your symptoms.
- Monitor treatment effects over time, beyond just “feeling a bit better.”
- Capture fluctuations because chronic pain isn’t always steady.
- Support mental well-being, as writing can be a form of self-care.
Studies demonstrate that keeping a pain diary can lead to intrapersonal insights and improved pain management.[4]
Take Your Pain Journal Virtual: Helpful Apps for Chronic Pain
Going digital can add features like charts, reminders, and easy sharing.
Here are some notable apps that patients and experts often recommend:
- Bearable: Great for beginners. Tracks pain, mood, sleep, and more. Clinician-reviewed and available on iOS/Android [5]
- Pathways Pain Relief: Designed for people with chronic pain for over three months. Includes mindfulness, education, movement, and well-being tracking [6]
- Curable: Utilizes a biopsychosocial approach with a virtual “pain coach,” guided exercises, and journaling prompts [6]
mySymptoms Food Diary & Symptom Tracker: Great for those whose pain may be connected to diet, gut health, or other symptoms (like GERD or IBS) [6] - PainScale: Free and includes pain tracking, educational content, and report-generating tools to share with healthcare providers [7]
- Manage My Pain: Clinically validated, with features to log pain and activity and create doctor-friendly reports [8]
- Pain Coach by VA: Free app offering daily check-ins, multimedia journaling, mood and pain tracking, and coping tools [10]
Many apps also provide data visualization tools, such as charts and graphs, to help you and your doctor identify trends at a glance.
Sharing Your Chronic Pain Journey Leads to More Effective Treatment
Writing your pain journal, whether handwritten or digital, is more than just note-taking. It’s your story, your day-to-day, and your truth. When you bring that clear, honest information to your doctor, you’re not just describing your persistent pain; you’re guiding your care together.
With consistent entries, descriptive language, and the support of helpful apps, your pain journal becomes a bridge to better understanding, targeted treatment, and, ultimately, relief.
Resources:
- Smith Y. Using a Pain Diary. News Medical Life Sciences [Internet]. Updated May 25, 2021. Accessed August 24, 2025. Available from: https://www.news-medical.net/health/Using-a-Pain-Diary.aspx
- How to effectively talk to your doctor about pain. Wellframe by Healthedge [Internet]. Accessed August 24, 2025. Available from: https://www.wellframe.com/member-resource/how-to-effectively-talk-to-your-doctor-about-pain/
- 5 Tips for Using Language to Help Your Doctor Understand Your Chronic Pain. HealthCentral [Internet]. Accessed August 24, 2025. Available from: https://www.healthcentral.com/pain-management/using-language-describe-pain
- Charoenpol FN, Tontisirin N, Leerapan B, Seangrung R, Finlayson RJ. Pain experiences and intrapersonal change among patients with chronic non-cancer pain after using a pain diary: a mixed-methods study. J Pain Res [Internet]. 2019;12:477-487. Published 2019 Jan 23. doi:10.2147/JPR.S186105. Accessed August 24, 2025. Available from: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6361316/
- Zhou A. 8 Apps to Try for Chronic Pain Management. Ability Central [Internet]. Updated May 28, 2025. Accessed August 24, 2025. Available from: https://abilitycentral.org/article/8-apps-to-try-for-chronic-pain-management
- Jay J. 10 best apps for people with Chronic Pain. US Pain Foundation [Internet]. Published January 06, 2021. Accessed August 24, 2025. Available from: https://uspainfoundation.org/blog/10-best-apps-for-people-with-chronic-pain
- Gamwell KL, Kollin SR, Gibler RC, et al. Systematic evaluation of commercially available pain management apps examining behavior change techniques. Pain [Internet]. 2021;162(3):856-865. doi:10.1097/j.pain.0000000000002090. Accessed August 24, 2025. Available from: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9152920
- Bhatia A, Kara J, Janmohamed T, et al. User Engagement and Clinical Impact of the Manage My Pain App in Patients With Chronic Pain: A Real-World, Multi-site Trial. JMIR Mhealth Uhealth [Internet]. 2021;9(3):e26528. Published 2021 Mar 4. doi:10.2196/26528
Accessed August 24, 2025. Available from: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7974758/ - Mobile App: Pain Coach. US Dept. of Veterans Affairs [Internet]. Published 2020. Accessed August 24, 2025. Available from: https://www.ptsd.va.gov/appvid/mobile/pain_coach_app.asp
