For clarification, I'm not diagnosed, just starting the journey of assessment for EDS. I'm also figuring out how much I'm actually in pain and where, because real instances of pain that would land me in the emergency room have always been normalized or dismissed by my caretakers. I do not have any other chronic illnesses that could explain this type of pain.

Every time a doctor palpates me anywhere on my torso (especially my abdomen) in order to determine whether I'm showing certain symptoms, I feel tickling or pain. The pain can be very slight or moderate. This has always made it very hard for me to be able to report whether I'm feeling pain as a result of the palpation. Doctors go through the motions so quickly that I have no idea what pain is what, and I often have just randomly said yes or no to pain because otherwise they will think I'm faking an illness.

This has actually been an issue. During my first pelvic exam, particularly when the doctor palpated my abdomen with both hands, I was in so much pain the doctor was convinced I had gonorrhea and even forced me to go through the treatment for it (I tested negative later that day). All my pelvic exams since then have hurt to the same extent.

I also find it really hard to wear clothes at all because of the sensation plus pain. A moderately tight shirt (one that just fits with some ease) will feel constricting and just painful enough to be distracting by the end of the day.

I was recently palpated across my lower back and butt to determine if I had a herniated or slipped disk. The doctor ended up saying he couldn't tell what exactly was causing my back pain because I did not report pain during certain palpations. In reality I was confused and unable to tell what pain was what.

How should I be reporting pain during this type of exam? Especially since this is used as diagnostic criteria. Any guidance is helpful!