SOCRATES

is a mnemonic used for pain assessment/description that we used since medical school

• Site – where is the pain?
• Onset – when did the pain start? Did the pain start suddenly?
• Character – e.g. aching, stabbing, sharp, crushing, burning pain
• Associated symptoms – e.g. vomiting, weight loss, cough, fever etc.
• Alleviating factors – what makes the pain better? e.g. sitting up, walking around
• Time course – Does the pain get better / worse / same over time?
• Timing –  Does the pain worsen at night / in the morning?
• Exacerbating factors – What makes the pain worsened? e.g. lying down, moving any body part
• Severity – On a scale of 0 – 10, with 10 being the worst pain imaginable