Pain tracker.
A simple way to log your pain each day, see how it’s changing, and spot if it’s getting worse instead of better. All entries stay on your device. Bring the trend to your GP appointment.
How to rate it so today is comparable to tomorrow
Pain swings a lot depending on rest vs. movement and how recently you took pain relief. For a trend line you can actually trust: rate it at rest (not mid-movement or right after coughing/standing), around the same time of day, and just before your next dose rather than right after one masks it.
All entries
About this tool
The 0–10 Numeric Rating Scale is how clinicians worldwide ask about pain. It’s simple, quick, and the same in every hospital. This tool captures that number once a day, plus a few notes, and shows you the pattern.
What matters most is the trend, not any single number. Post-op pain should gradually fall over days and weeks. If it’s rising, staying high, or suddenly much worse, your medical team needs to know. This tool flags those patterns so you don’t have to notice them yourself.
Your entries never leave your device. They live in your browser (localStorage). Nothing goes to any server. Clear your browser and they’re gone. This is a private record, for you and the clinicians you choose to share it with.
Informed by clinical guidance from NHS, NICE, healthdirect Australia, and the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists. Full sources at postopcare.info/sources.
Frequently asked questions
- This is a personal monitoring aid, not a medical device or diagnostic tool.
- A single pain number cannot tell you whether something is wrong: only your medical team can.
- Pain paired with fever, swelling, redness spreading, shortness of breath, chest pain, calf swelling, or sudden numbness requires urgent review.
- Always contact your GP, surgeon, or emergency services for any concerns. In Australia call your GP or 13HEALTH (13 43 25 84). In a medical emergency call 000 (AU) · 999 (UK) · 911 (US).
About This Pain Monitoring Tool
Pain monitoring is one of the most important things you can do in the weeks after surgery. Post-surgical pain follows a predictable pattern. It should generally decrease day by day after the first 48–72 hours. When it doesn't: when pain plateaus, spikes, or reverses after a period of improvement; that pattern is clinically significant. It can signal an early infection, wound complication, or developing DVT. This tool tracks that pattern automatically.
How the red flag system works
The tool watches for four patterns that published clinical evidence associates with post-operative complications: a rising trend across three or more consecutive entries; severe pain (8+ out of 10) for two or more days running; a sudden spike of three or more points above your recent average; and a reversal pattern: where pain was decreasing but has now increased for two consecutive entries after a period of improvement. These patterns do not diagnose complications, but they identify when your pain curve has deviated from normal recovery in a way worth discussing with your GP or surgical team.
The GP report
The "Share with GP" button generates a clinical summary you can bring to your post-operative review appointment. It includes a visual trend chart, your peak and best scores, your overall trend direction, and a complete log of every entry. Your GP can see at a glance whether your pain trajectory has been as expected. This takes the place of trying to remember or describe your pain verbally — which research consistently shows patients find difficult, particularly when managing post-operative fatigue and medication.
Privacy: all data stays on your device
Your pain log is stored in your browser's local storage only. Nothing is sent to any server. Your scores, notes, and medication entries never leave your device unless you choose to share the GP report yourself. Clearing your browser data or using a different device will remove your entries, the tool is intentionally simple and private.
Sources: NHS post-operative monitoring guidance · NICE patient safety guidelines · PMID 33215245 · healthdirect.gov.au