A Patient Has Had Chronic Back Pain for Several Years

A patient has had chronic back pain for several years. On assessment, the nurse notes that the patient sits quietly in a chair, reads a book, talks with a companion, and does not appear to be in pain. When questioned, the patient rates the pain as a 6 on a scale of 0 to 10. How does the nurse interpret these data?

A) Many patients cannot be believed when they complain of severe pain lasting many months.
B) Patients may not have the same objective responses to chronic pain because of compensation over time.
C) The patient probably has already taken a very effective pain medication.
D) This patient is probably not having as much pain as reported initially, and more assessment is required.