Watch for surprises and patterns

You may notice some unusual connections. The stress of making dinner in the evening may cause that stabbing pain to return, or an argument with your daughter may make your back hurt more than usual.

Andrea Cooper, 52, of Phoenix, Md., has found her pain diary invaluable for keeping track of her fibromyalgia. "I saw that my pain would peak at certain times of the day," she says. "Even when I was on pain medication, I still found the pain had an upward climb at the end of day. I was able to take that to the doctor, and when he looked at it he said 'Gee whiz, your pain medicine is not getting you through the day. We need to do something about that spike.' He changed my medication and things improved."