If you are living with chronic pain, it is important that you
meet with your doctor regularly. All people tolerate pain to
different degrees, so you'll need to work with your doctor to
monitor your symptoms and your response to therapy. Your doctor
will begin assessing your pain by taking your history, which may
help establish if your pain is caused by a physical illness,
such as cancer, or if your pain is affected by psychological
factors, such as depression or anxiety. In addition, your doctor
may ask you to rate your pain by using a pain scale. A pain
scale can help your doctor gauge if your pain is changing over
time. It is also important to determine the degree to which your
pain is affecting your ability to enjoy life. Your doctor may
vary the approach to treatment based on whether you find your
pain to be only annoying vs. debilitating. Finally, your doctor
will perform a thorough physical examination and may order one
or more diagnostic tests. A multitude of diseases and conditions
can lead to chronic