Module 3: Assessment

Lesson 2

Acute pain: Comprehensive assessment (cont’d)

Standard Assessment Tools

• Pain intensity ratings are used to establish a baseline and used subsequently as an indication of the effectiveness of interventions to treat acute pain. These pain measures are only appropriate to assess pain variations in an individual at rest and with movement.
  • Numeric Rating Scale (0-10)
  • Visual Analogue Scale
• Functional impact of acute pain
  • Functional Activity Scale is a 3-level ranked categorical scale to assess whether the patient can undertake appropriate activity at the current level of pain control. The patient is asked to perform the activity or it is conducted by/with a therapist. The activity is assessed as A-no limitation, B-mild limitation, C-significant limitation. The score is used to track effectiveness of analgesia on function.
• Tools to assess the multidimensional nature of pain
  • Pain intensity and disability: Brief Pain Inventory Long Form and Short Form.
  • Sensory, affective and evaluative: McGill Pain Questionnaire
  • Neuropathic pain: DN4 (PDF)
  • Patient Global impression of change/improvement after treatment: PGIC