Our Pain Scale My knees have been bothering me of the past bunch of years. Everytime I visit an orthopedic expert they ask questions like these. Is the pain acute? Is the pain localized? Is the pain symmetric? Can you quantify the pain? This last question is interesting, because it opens up a Pandora's Box about relative pain and some sort of "measure" of the severity of that pain. Often, we are trying to be objective about a very subjective topic in coming up with a number between - say - 1 and 10. For what it is worth, here is my pain scale regarding my knees when I am out on a hike through the woods. Barely noticeable fleeting pain. Minimal persistent pain. Enough discomfort to change my gait. Enough discomfort to change my intended route. Enough discomfort to stay home and ice my knee(s). Enough discomfort to seek pain relief. Enough discomfort to call a doctor. Enough discomfort to take a nap. Reverting to the fetal position. I have now passed out. Everyone has a dif