patient-centered force response
monitoring
tissue tenderness
in real-time
Pain Meter’s Origin Story
“It’s Time To Start Listening”
mypain.co
What Is The Pain Meter?
The Pain Meter is a simple handheld, squeezable device that reads the patient’s tenderness to palpation through a metered 0-100 point scale — communicating to doctors in real-time. This helps both the practitioner and the patient to discern a normal response, an exaggerated response (hyperalgesia) and/or an abnormal response (allodynia)—placing appropriate context to the clinical encounter.
Extracting Patient Information Vs. Reading Minds or Eyebrows
Patients tend to be nervous, shy, or do not know how to accurately communicate their pain levels to health care professionals. The Pain Meter allows doctors to put themselves in the head of the patient without trying to read a patient’s behaviours or facial expressions behind the mask.
How It Works
- Teach the patient to squeeze the bulb when they feel something change (sensitivity)
- Read pain levels in real-time
- Increase accuracy with anatomical specificity
- Improve reputation & patient happiness
- Assures patient that they are being listened to
- Encourages involvement and self-awareness
The Pain Meter was primarily designed for those professionals that use palpation during a musculoskeletal evaluation. The doctor’s touch and varying pressure are used to determine tissue sensitivity — helping them understand the associated mechanical sensitivity of the tissue. This process helps encourage a more accurate diagnosis of the patient’s pain level during an anatomical investigation. It is extremely intuitive and easy to use, providing new real-time sensory feedback.
Who Is The Pain Meter For?
- Pain Interventionalists
- Chiropractors
- Dentists
- Medical Doctors
- Osteopaths
- Physiotherapists
- Massage Therapists
- Nurses
- Health Care Professionals
- Hospitals Triage
- Psychologists
- Special Schools
- Personal Trainers
Listening = Better Care
Patient-centered care must start with great listening. The Pain Meter re-inforces to patients that the doctor/therapist IS carefully listening on all fronts. It reassures while providing a subtle sense of ‘control’ knowing that if something is too sensitive, this can easily be communicated and acknowledged. It also allows for the investigator to discuss in real-time why particular anatomical structures may be sensitive. And if clinically appropriate, help establish a better sense of self-awareness for the patient.
Benefits Of Pain Meter:
- Easy communication
- Better specificity with diagnostics
- Patient feels heard
- Real-time readings
- Affordable Pricing
- Simple to use
- Creates happier patients
Jerome Fryer – Developer, Entrepreneur and Published Author
developer of Dynamic Disc Designs Corp
The Pain Meter has been developed by Dr. Jerome Fryer to extract more detail during the patient encounter. Determining the palpatory sensitivity of different anatomical structures helps in the accuracy of the diagnosis and assures the patient that the investigator is paying close attention.
Dr. Jerome Fryer From Nanaimo, BC, Canada
Jerome Fryer, Pain Meter Inventor
Jerome Fryer is a chiropractor and spine research expert that invented the Pain Meter. Jerome developed Dynamic Disc Designs Corp (DDD), a dynamic spine modeling company to improve the communication between doctors and patients.
The idea was a success and thousands of DDD models have been sold and are currently used around the world to improve spine education. Now, the Pain Meter is Jerome’s next ambitious project.
Jerome focuses on outcomes and hard results. Jerome came up with the Pain Meter while working directly with patients. There was a need to improve communication between patients and medical professionals. Jerome was going about his regular practice day when an idea struck.
He thought, “What if I could feel what the patient feels when probing and investigating the particular anatomical structures of interest?”
Jerome knew he was onto something when he combined his doctor/patient detective skills with a curiosity to extract the most information to diagnose patients in an approachable way.
Real Life Cases & Tips
Early Prototype Development 2017
Case Strategies from Jerome Fryer using the Pain Meter
What will my order include?
You will receive a fully functional Pain Meter. It has been developed with attention to detail with a large viewing screen of the electronic dial guage. The device includes a numerical scale of 0-100 with an audible beep to indicate when 100 is reached. There are also emoji faces to match the numerical scale. Within the settings, there are two differing sensitivities: normal and high. There is also an auto shut-off function to help preserve battery life.
When will I receive the Pain Meter?
The order to the factory has been placed Nov 27th, 2020 and the Pain Meters are expected to be shipped to all the ‘backers’ in the next 4-6 weeks.
Are there instructions that come with the Pain Meter?
Because this is a brand new concept for measuring a patient’s sensory experience, the instructions on the use of the device have not been robustly developed. Jerome Fryer has been using the device for 12 months and he has developed his own strategies which he can share. But as more and more practitioners use the device, more and more elaborate instructions will naturally develop. Currently, there has not been any science conducted with the device. However, we believe this will likely change soon.
After two weeks of use (Sept 7th, 2020): “I must admit that I was initially skeptical of the utility for a hand-held pain-meter, however, I have been pleasantly surprised by its value. I give it to the patient when I’m palpating potentially tender areas and the feedback is spot on. I’ve found that my inquisitive palpatory exams are faster with the instantaneous responses from the device. I think my patients also appreciate the incorporation of high-tech with high-touch. While I still do not use it for every presentation, I’m finding more utility each day. The device will be invaluable for patients with communication barriers (hearing, speech, language, etc). Thanks again for creating a product that enhances our clinical practice.”
As usual, the creative brilliance of Dr Fryer has now produced a pain meter that will enhance the communication of pain perceptions between the client and clinician. It helps me hone a precision diagnosis and understanding of pain mechanisms.
Backfitpro
Professor Emeritus University of Waterloo
From a patient (with permission): “I had been dealing with neck pain that gave me headaches, radiated down my right arm and into my shoulder blade area for many years. I had been to several chiropractors and seeing a massage therapist weekly and never got any relief. I heard Dr Fryer was the person to see for disc problems and I am very happy I did. He is very passionate about trying to help people and he explained my problem using vertebrae models; bulging discs. While performing his treatment he gave me a gauge with a meter to squeeze when I was experiencing discomfort so he could monitor how I was doing. His approach was very different. He treated me to create space for my discs. It probably was about 6 treatments and I noticed a difference to the point now where I feel almost 100%…have to say almost because I will always have to be careful with the bulging discs. I am very grateful for his knowledge and incredible care.”
Neck pain patient
I think this tool created by Dr. Fryer will assist me in identifying exactly where a patients pain is located. In the clinic, I specifically see this being used in patients with localized complains, in hopes of finding the offending tissue. The tool’s utility in research is endless!
Practice Leader
University Health Network
Comprehensive Integrated Pain Program – Rehabilitation Pain Service
This device allows me to see real-time pain measures to be sure the patient remains comfortable during all types of dental procedures, not only for patients with me, but those in the hygiene chairs as well. If we can give the patient the ability to communicate the pain/comfort levels it goes a long way towards decreasing dental fears.
Practicing Dentist
Woodgrove Dental Clinic
Interactive solutions with real – time measurement of patient behavior are needed because most of the time to even talk and properly examine the patient. Dr. Fryer’s device therefore is a game changer – direct interaction with the patient and also forcing the doctor to better and properly examine the paint with real – time feedback. The device can be used in training resident and students, emergency situations as well as in patients with language / speaking difficulties as it allows to describe the situation / pain. Subjective pain scores will become obsolete using this innovate idea and device.
Chief Medical Officer bei iBio Health Ltd.,
Orthopedic Surgeon
Dr. Fryer’s sensory meter allows real time quantitative data acquisition during evocative maneuvers for patients experiencing pain. It is the first of its kind of tool for pain measurement.
neuro-spine surgeon
Fellow of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS)
Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS)
Brevard County Medical Society (President, Board of Governors)
Surgery Department Chair, Parrish Medical Center
From a research perspective, this potentially constitutes a simple means of quantifying localized tenderness at any given instant, and over any possible number of time-points. From a practical clinical perspective, these measurements would be achievable with minimal disruption to the natural flow of a doctor-patient encounter
Faculty of Medicine
School of Population and Public Health
Clinical Associate Professor
Academic Lead, British Columbia Practice-Based
Unboxing of the Pain Meter Version 1.0
The Pain Meter is a product of Dynamic Disc Designs Corp. If you would prefer to purchase through Dynamic Disc Designs Corp directly, visit the Pain Meter product page.