Pain: a review of three commonly used pain rating scales

Studies with pain rating scales.

Good correlation has been shown between pain scores derived from 4 different rating scales. The correlation was maintained when presentation of the scales was separated by a series of questions and by physical examination. There is good evidence that the 4 scales are measuring the same underlying pain variable as they calibrate well. There is also evidence that an 11-point (0-10) numerical rati...

Validity of four pain intensity rating scales.

The Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), Numerical Rating Scale (NRS), Verbal Rating Scale (VRS), and the Faces Pain Scale-Revised (FPS-R) are among the most commonly used measures of pain intensity in clinical and research settings. Although evidence supports their validity as measures of pain intensity, few studies have compared them with respect to the critical validity criteria of responsivity, and...

Using pain-rating scales with older adults.

Rating scales for low back pain.

INTRODUCTION During the past decades several rating scales have been developed to assess the functional status of patients with low back pain. METHODS We performed a search using the keywords 'spine' in combination with 'scoring system', 'scale', 'scores', 'outcome assessment', 'low back pain' and 'clinical evaluation'. RESULTS Twenty-eight scoring systems are currently available for the ev...

Pain rating schema: three distinct subgroups of individuals emerge when rating mild, moderate, and severe pain

BACKGROUND While the validity of pain assessment has been well documented, the underlying schema (ie, organized, preconceived ideas) of how individuals interpret numerical pain ratings is not well understood. This study's objectives were to examine numerical pain intensity ratings, from (0 to 10 cm on the visual analog scale [VAS]) across multiple severities of commonly experienced acute pain c...