How to keep your pain diary
A pain diary is not an essay. It works best when an entry is so quick that you can manage it on bad days too. Here a number from 0 to 10 and a tap on “Save entry” is enough. Everything else is optional and can be added later.
Pick a fixed time, for example in the evening before bed, and add an extra entry whenever something changes clearly: a flare-up, a tablet, an obvious trigger. Days without pain belong in the diary as well. A 0 is important information, because only then can you see how often you are doing well.
What to record in an entry
Doctors ask almost the same questions every time. If you note them down regularly, you will not have to guess from memory during the appointment:
- intensity on the 0 to 10 scale, always using the same yardstick
- location, recorded each time if it moves around
- type of pain, for example stabbing, dull, burning or pulling
- medication and dose, especially painkillers taken as needed
- circumstances such as sleep, stress, strain, weather or your period
- a short note on what helped or made it worse
How long should you keep it?
Two to four weeks are often enough for a first picture. For headaches and migraine, a diary is often kept for several months, because patterns such as headache days per month or days with painkillers only become visible over a longer period. If you are about to start a new treatment, it is worth recording a few weeks beforehand. That way you can compare later whether anything has changed.
What your doctor can learn from it
An appointment is a snapshot. The diary shows the course over time: how often does the pain occur, how strong is it, how long does it last? Are there days when you need noticeably more medication? Does a medicine work, and how quickly? Do flare-ups follow certain activities, poor sleep or a particular phase of your cycle?
The report on this page puts this on one page: period, number of entries, average intensity, pain-free days, days with medication, common locations, types of pain and circumstances, plus a chart. The complete table follows. Your doctor can grasp the essentials in a minute and go into detail if needed. Write your questions in the space at the bottom of the first page.
The section “Noted with higher and lower scores” is deliberately cautious. It only counts what you entered yourself. Whether a circumstance actually affects your pain cannot be concluded from it, especially with only a few entries. Treat it as a starting point for a conversation, not as a result.
Online, on paper or in an app?
Each format has its strengths. A paper template sits next to your bed and needs no technology. A spreadsheet can be adapted freely. An online pain diary like this one works out the average, pain-free days and the trend for you and creates the report. An app can also remind you to log, and for many people that is what keeps the diary going beyond the first two weeks. More important than the tool is that you stick with it and always rate your pain the same way.
Privacy: your data stays with you
Health data deserves special protection. That is why this diary runs entirely in your browser. There is no account, and your entries are not sent to our server. They are kept in your browser's local storage on this device. The report, the CSV file and the backup are created there too.
There is a downside: if you clear your browser data or use another device, your entries will not be there. So download a backup regularly. On a new device, open this page and load the file with “Load backup”. On shared computers, choose “Delete all entries” when you are done.
Frequently asked questions
Is the online pain diary really free?
Yes. There is no sign-up, no trial period and no limit on the number of entries. The report, the CSV export and the backup are free as well.
Where are my entries stored?
Only in your browser's local storage on this device. We never receive your entries. If you clear your browser data, the entries are deleted too, so download a backup from time to time.
How do I get a PDF for my doctor?
Tap “Report for your doctor” and choose “Save as PDF” instead of a printer in the print dialog. You get one summary page with a chart, followed by a table of all entries in the selected period.
Can I use the diary on my phone and on my computer?
Yes, the page works in any current browser. Entries are not synced automatically, though. To switch, download the backup on one device and load it on the other with “Load backup”.
Can I open my entries in Excel?
Yes. The CSV export opens in Excel, Numbers, Google Sheets or LibreOffice. Each row is one entry with date, time, intensity, location, type of pain, circumstances, medication, dose and note.
How is this different from the PainTrack app?
The online diary covers the essentials and needs no installation. The app reminds you to log, offers a widget (iPhone only), manages medication with reminders and, with Pro, adds a trigger analysis, monthly reports and a PDF doctor report. Entries from the browser cannot be transferred to the app.
Read more
Sources and further reading
- The British Pain Society: information for people with pain
- NICE guideline NG193: Chronic pain (primary and secondary) in over 16s
This diary helps you keep a record. It does not diagnose anything and does not replace medical advice. If you have sudden, very severe or unusual pain, get medical help right away, in an emergency call your local emergency number.