If Your Doctor Dismisses Your Pain, Do You Know What to Say?
Episode Description
Pain is one of the most common reasons women go to the doctor, and also one of the most commonly dismissed areas of female health.
In this episode, I’m breaking down how to describe pain to your doctor in a way that can be understood and evaluated. Since pain is subjective and difficult to measure, doctors rely heavily on how it’s communicated, and most women are never taught how to explain their pain clearly.
I talk about why pain scales are limited, why women’s pain is often normalized or dismissed, and how that impacts diagnosis and treatment.
You’ll learn a simple framework for describing pain, including how to explain sensation, location, timing, triggers, and how pain affects your ability to function. This gives your doctor the structure they need to interpret your symptoms and move your care forward.
I also talk about one of the most important phrases you can use in a medical appointment, “this is not normal for me,” and why understanding your baseline is key to being taken seriously.
If you’ve ever struggled with how to explain your pain, felt dismissed by a doctor, or left an appointment without answers, this episode will give you a practical way to communicate your symptoms more clearly.
Timestamps:
[00:00:16] Recap from Last Week: Emergency Room Advocacy
[00:01:50] Why Women’s Pain Is Dismissed
[00:02:50] Why Pain Is Hard to Measure
[00:03:15] The Problem with Pain Scales
[00:04:40] Why “It Hurts” Isn’t Enough
[00:05:23] The Pain Formula
[00:06:56] Finding Your Baseline
[00:08:00] “This Is Not Normal for Me”
[00:09:15] Specific Language to Describe Your Pain
[00:10:23] Language That Can Undermine You
[00:11:45] Coming Up Next Week: The Importance of The Medical ID
Resources From This Episode:
How To Describe Pain Cheat Sheet Free PDF Download
BBC Article: The Case for Renaming Female Body Parts
More Free Cheat Sheet Downloads from The Hairy Chin:
The One Page Health Summary Cheat Sheet from episode “The One Page That Changes Every Dr. Appointment”
How To Describe Your Symptoms Cheat Sheet from episode "Struggling To Explain Symptoms To Your Doctor?"
Where Else to Find The Hairy Chin:
Disclaimer: The Hairy Chin does not provide medical advice. All content is for informational purposes only. Please consult a qualified healthcare professional for personal medical concerns.
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