Let’s Talk About Pain: Reflections from a Medical Student
- Wendy Wang
- Jun 9
- 4 min read
Without a doubt, pain is one of the most common reasons patients seek medical help. Pain is a feeling we’ve all experienced - whether it’s a stubbed toe, a pounding headache, or something chronic that doesn’t ever go away. As a medical student, I’ve realized that no matter what specialty I go into, I’ll encounter patients who are in pain.
But here’s the most surprising part: we don’t really talk enough about pain. Not in class, not during rounds, and definitely not enough with patients.
Rate Your Pain from 0 to 10 - What Does That Even Mean?
We ask patients to rate their pain on a scale from 0 to 10, with 10 being the greatest pain they’ve ever felt. But what exactly does that really tell us? How exactly do we interpret a scale so subjective? A “6” for one person may be a “2” in someone who lives everyday in chronic pain. Beyond the number, pain often fades into the background of our clinical conversations.
And once we get the number? We document it, we check a box, and we move on.
But pain doesn’t move on. It stays with the patient, long after we leave the room.
Pain comes in many flavors.
Throughout these past couple months, I’ve seen patients sent home with nothing more than ibuprofen after a major surgery. I’ve met patients who’ve been living in pain for years - sometimes decades - without any significant relief. Pain shows up in all kinds of ways, sharp, dull, aching, stabbing, pins/needles, numbing - and the most iconic - feeling like an elephant on my chest. Pain affects SO much, it affects our sleep, mood, relationships with others, and our identity.
Our Tools are Limited - and That’s a Problem.
Here’s the frustrating truth: we don’t have a ton of great options for treating pain.
Opioids feel like the magic pill, but they come with well-known risks - especially for patients who are older or who have experienced addiction. NSAIDs (Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs) like ibuprofen and aspirin are everywhere, but sometimes they’re not enough and can lead to GI bleeds or kidney damage. Alternatives like physical therapy, acupuncture, nerve blocks, or therapy can help - but access is inconsistent, expensive, or not covered by insurance.
So what can we offer people when none of it works? The unfortunate answer is: not much.
What We’re Not Taught in Med School.
As medical students, we’re taught how to diagnose diseases, read scans, and interpret lab results. But no one really sits down and shows us how to navigate a conversation with a patient in pain. No one teaches you how to treat pain when there’s no cure. No one teaches you how to sit with someone’s pain, and that’s a huge gap - not just in knowledge, but also in compassion. It’s time to take pain seriously and talk about it. We need to make pain management a real part of medical education - not just a side note. And maybe most importantly, we need to start listening to patients when they talk about their pain and not just nod when they give us a number. When someone says, “I’m in pain”, that sounds like the start of the conversation.
Taking Back Control When Pain Takes Over.
So what happens when YOU’RE the one in pain?
Speak up - and keep speaking up
You’re the expert of your own body. If your pain is being dismissed, it’s okay to ask more questions or seek a second opinion. Don’t downplay it just to make your provider comfortable and dismiss your own feelings. Your pain is real and it DOES matter to us.
Describe your pain
It might be hard at times to describe your pain if it feels like it's everywhere, but try to describe your pain with as much detail as you can to give your provider the full picture. Instead of using just a number, describe where the pain is, what it feels like, what makes it worse or better, and how it affects your daily life. This kind of detail can be very helpful when navigating your treatment plan.
Ask about other options
While medications are oftentimes necessary, ask and be open about other therapeutic options that have shown to be very helpful. Ask about physical therapy, mindfulness, pain psychology, or other therapies. While access may vary, it’s always better to stay informed of your options.
Build your own toolkit
These may be simple things like range of motion exercises, heat/cold packs, mindfulness, distraction therapy, or support groups. Whatever it is, build your own toolkit using things that you know helps. Pain isn’t just physical - it’s emotional too. Your coping strategies can be equally effective.
Let’s Change the Convo About Pain
Pain is complex, deep, personal, unpredictable, and often invisible - but that doesn’t mean that it should be ignored. As future medical providers, we all have a role to play in listening to our patients and navigating that conversation. It starts out with an honest conversation, empathy, and an open ear willing to listen. We need to do our part even if we don’t have all the answers (and sometimes we don’t). Pain deserves more than just a checkbox. It deserves our undivided attention, and most of all - our empathy.
