I find that explaining what the number means to me and then telling them my number is more helpful — plus also telling them how limited I am in activity.
For example, I’ll say — a kidney stone is a 10, child birth is an 8, a broken bone is a 5-6. I wake up every morning at a 6 or higher and right now, I’m an 8.
For some reason, giving them perspective on what my numbers mean to me helps give perspective.