We visualize pain and recognize pain.
Pain is a signal of a disease. But it can not be measured like a temperature or blood pressure. More, different diseases can cause similar pain (as in the case of abdominal pain, chest pain or even knee pain). Same disease can cause different pain or no pain at all, such as the case of heart diseases/heart attack.
This reality has ramifications: 1. The sheer complexity and diversity of pain make it a difficult symptom to decipher by itself. 2. Pain can not be interpreted alone, it has to be investigated in its context. 3. A pain must be understood well. Otherwise, a serious illness can and will be missed.
Then, how do we address pain? This usually begins with the verbal expression from a sufferer. It often ends with a reception/understanding from a listener (usually a doctor). From here, a diagnosis and treatment are formed to treat the pain. In a perfect world, mistake does not happen.
In reality, any imperfection of the expression (distraction from pain, literacy, personality, past experience, etc) from the pain suffer and the reception of pain (willingness, skill and attention to obtain a history, fund of knowledge, time constraint, etc) from the listener often leads to misunderstanding with consequences.
The website visualizes pain and its context. It is a tool designed to develop a history of pain thus to facilitate the discovery of its cause.
There is no time limit and it is free. As we develop, more symptoms and signs will be visualized so as to minimize the use of words or phrases and to pick and choose what ever picture fits the pain, illness or suffering.
We welcome input from the community. Let us build this community.
Pain is a signal of a disease. But it can not be measured like a temperature or blood pressure. More, different diseases can cause similar pain (as in the case of abdominal pain, chest pain or even knee pain). Same disease can cause different pain or no pain at all, such as the case of heart diseases/heart attack.
This reality has ramifications: 1. The sheer complexity and diversity of pain make it a difficult symptom to decipher by itself. 2. Pain can not be interpreted alone, it has to be investigated in its context. 3. A pain must be understood well. Otherwise, a serious illness can and will be missed.
Then, how do we address pain? This usually begins with the verbal expression from a sufferer. It often ends with a reception/understanding from a listener (usually a doctor). From here, a diagnosis and treatment are formed to treat the pain. In a perfect world, mistake does not happen.
In reality, any imperfection of the expression (distraction from pain, literacy, personality, past experience, etc) from the pain suffer and the reception of pain (willingness, skill and attention to obtain a history, fund of knowledge, time constraint, etc) from the listener often leads to misunderstanding with consequences.
The website visualizes pain and its context. It is a tool designed to develop a history of pain thus to facilitate the discovery of its cause.
There is no time limit and it is free. As we develop, more symptoms and signs will be visualized so as to minimize the use of words or phrases and to pick and choose what ever picture fits the pain, illness or suffering.
We welcome input from the community. Let us build this community.
