An appointment at a pain clinic or with a pain specialist is usually hard to get and then lasts 60 to 90 minutes. That time decides a lot - and it passes quickly if half of it goes on reconstructing your history.
With a little preparation you turn that around: instead of describing roughly what happened, you put numbers and documents on the table and use the remaining time for what you actually need. This guide shows what to put together - for a first consultation as much as for a routine appointment with your GP.
What a first consultation actually asks about
A first pain consultation is considerably more extensive than an ordinary appointment. It usually covers:
- History: since when, how it started, how it has changed
- Character and location: where exactly, what type, whether it radiates
- Severity: now, on average, at worst - usually on a scale of 0 to 10
- Frequency: on how many days, for how long at a stretch
- Previous treatments: what was tried and what it achieved
- Medication: what, how much, how often, with what effect
- Impact: work, sleep, daily life, mood, social contacts
Almost all of these can only be answered vaguely from memory - and that is precisely why a pain diary is the best preparation there is. The basics are covered in the guide How to keep a pain diary.
The German pain questionnaire
In Germany, many pain centres and clinics send out the Deutscher Schmerzfragebogen (German pain questionnaire) before the appointment. It is extensive because it captures your entire pain history, your medication history and the effects on daily life in a structured form. It is meant to be brought to the appointment filled in.
Two practical notes:
- Start early. The questionnaire cannot be filled in properly the evening before, least of all the questions about frequency and history.
- A diary does not replace it - but it makes it considerably easier. The figures for affected days and average and maximum severity can be read off directly instead of estimated.
Document checklist
For a first presentation at a pain clinic, most institutions in Germany ask for:
- A referral note and your insurance card
- The completed pain questionnaire, if one was sent to you
- Copies of findings from the past two years - letters from your GP, orthopaedics, neurology, psychiatry and other specialties
- Imaging reports (MRI, CT, X-ray) - the written report matters more than the image file
- Hospital and rehabilitation reports
- A current medication plan with dosages, including over-the-counter products
- Your own records - diary or report
The key point: missing prior findings are the most common reason a hard-won appointment has to be postponed. Get hold of copies in good time rather than hoping the documents are already on file.
Your numbers in three sentences
Do not bring the pile of raw data, bring the summary - and keep the evidence to hand in case you are asked. Three figures almost always carry:
- Affected days in the period: "Symptoms on 22 of 30 days."
- Average severity and peaks: "An average of 5, an 8 on four days."
- Impact on daily life: "Three working days lost, sleep disturbed on six nights."
Add a fourth sentence about change if you have been documenting for a while: "Same number of days as the three months before, but clearly longer episodes."
Those four sentences say more in thirty seconds than ten minutes of narrative. And they show that your figures rest on records rather than on how you happen to feel that day.
With PainTrack Pro you turn them into a PDF doctor's report: selectable by pain definition, either "Entries only" or "Charts & entries", covering a period from one week up to a year. To see what that looks like, have a look at the sample report as a PDF. You share the report straight from the app - or print it out and hand it over.
Five questions you should ask
An appointment is not a one-way street. Note down beforehand what you want to know - in the moment it tends not to come to mind:
- What is the working diagnosis, and how certain is it?
- What goal are we pursuing? Freedom from pain is rarely realistic with persistent pain - "being able to work again" or "sleeping through the night" are achievable goals.
- How will we know whether it is working, and by when?
- What side effects should I expect, and what do I do if they occur?
- What can I contribute myself, and what should I record until the next appointment?
Questions 3 and 5 matter most, because they set up the next appointment: if you agree together on how success will be measured, you know exactly what to write down in the meantime.
After the appointment
Two things are worth doing straight afterwards:
- Note the outcome while it is fresh: diagnosis, changes to medication, agreed goals, next appointment.
- Set a starting point. If something was changed, the day of that change is the reference point for everything that follows. Without that marker you cannot say later whether a change is connected to the new treatment or not.
After that the same rules apply as before: log close to the event, keep one scale, record symptom-free days too. At the follow-up appointment you then have not just a record but a before-and-after comparison.
Frequently asked questions
What do I need to bring to a first pain clinic consultation? Your referral and insurance card, the completed pain questionnaire, copies of findings from the past two years, imaging reports, hospital and rehabilitation reports, your current medication plan and your own records. Exactly what is required is stated in the appointment confirmation from the institution.
How far in advance should I start documenting? Four weeks is the minimum, so that weekly patterns become visible. Three months is better when the point is to judge an ongoing treatment.
Printout or file? Both work. A printout can be laid out side by side during the conversation and added to your file; a PDF can be sent in advance if the practice offers that. When in doubt, take the printout.
Does a report from the app replace the pain questionnaire? No. The questionnaire captures considerably more than the course of your pain and has to be filled in. The report supplies the numbers you would otherwise have to estimate.
What if I have missed days? Not a problem. Mention the gaps rather than filling them in from memory. An honest gap is far more useful than a figure constructed after the fact.
PainTrack is not a medical device and does not replace medical diagnosis or treatment. The app is intended for personal documentation and self-observation.