Free printable pain diary

What is on the sheet

One landscape US Letter page for daily entries. Each row has:

• Date and time, because pain often changes through the day.
• Where it hurts and pain from 0 to 10.
• Kind of pain: aching, burning, sharp, stabbing, throbbing or tingling. These words help a doctor understand what you feel.
• Flare day, yes or no, so bad days stand out at a glance.
• What you took and how you felt after.
• Sleep, activity and mood, which often rise and fall with pain.

How to use it

1. Fill in a row at the same time each day, and add another on a flare day.
2. Be specific about where: "lower back, left side" says more than "back".
3. Write down what you took and how you felt after, good or bad.
4. Bring a few weeks of sheets to your appointment. A record beats trying to remember how the last month went.

A pain diary is a record of how you feel. Patterns in it are not a diagnosis, so talk them over with your doctor.

Paper or app?

Paper works, but it is hard to show where pain moves over time. My Pain Journal lets you tap where it hurts on a body map, see your patterns on a pain heat map, track flare days, keep a medication log of what you took and how you felt after, and hand your doctor a clear PDF. It costs $4.99 once, with no subscription, no account and no ads.

This app is a diary, not a medical device. Always follow your doctor's advice.