I have found that my pain levels change depending on how bad was the last one :) If I was feeling really good the moment or day before then when it hurts it kind of takes me by surprise (doesn't happen anymore but I remember when it did). NEVER EVER use numbers to discribe pain. Even when that is what they say they want. It will ALWAYS work against you. Go to high and they can't see the same they stop believing you. Go to low and what do you need me for, is the reaction.
Also remember 9 is just one step away from the worse pain imaginable. 10 is the worse pain imaginable!! If you use these numbers easily they stop listening to you. Trouble your reply is perfect :) No matter how hard they try never use a number.
When I broke my ankle it didn't hurt as much as some of my other pains so I was able to see how numbers can tell nothing to someone hearing them. When I was going through withdrawal it was a very strong 10 couldn't move, couldn't stop moaning, couldn't do anything but suffer. 10 always changes because once you can imagine that pain it is no longer the worse pain imaginable. There can always be something worse. I hope this makes some sense :)
I hope this helped if not forget you read it and keep that memory for something useful :) :) :)
Oh, my reply to this is when I say how I feel, it depends on who is asking for how I answer.
Answers for different people :)
The person that doesn't want to know but says "How are you?" Thank you for asking How are you? 
Works everytime :) They just go on to how they are because they didn't really want an answer anyway :)
The person that knows me and cares asks, "How are you doing today?" I find the best feeling part of me and that is what I tell them I feel. These are the people that get that pity look.
The medical community asks "How are you today?" I generally tell them in as little detail as possible my range of pains. :) They don't want to hear details they are just keeping the charts up. The ones that really do care still don't have the time to listen.
The medical person(s) that need to know, and this includes everyone that I have hired to help me in anyway. They need to know even if they don't want to give me enough time to tell. "How are you feeling?" I tell them with a little more detail then the one above, but not full detail, just enough for them to know how completely I feel.
I hope this helps :) How do you explain your pain?
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