|  | Conditions Treatments | Pain Management

What are Unidimensional Pain Scales?

The amount of pain a patient is suffering represents an important factor in a physician's evaluation and treatment plan. Pain remains subjective so the physician must rely upon the patient's self reporting. Unidimensional pain scales provide a means for the patient to report pain in a manner that puts the pain in a context that has some meaning for the treating physician.

  1. Visual Analog Scale

    • The visual analog scale is a simple unidimensional pain scale. One type of the scale is known as the horizontal visual analog scale, or HVAS. It contains a horizontal line with the words "no pain" at the far left and "worst pain ever" on the far right end of the line. The line is divided into ten segments one centimeter apart with a dot on the line to represent each division. The patient is instructed to place a mark along the line which will represent the intensity of his pain. Another version places the line in a vertical position with the same idea of the patient evaluating her pain in a linear fashion.

    The Wong-Baker FACES Pain Scale

    • Created by Donna Wong and Debbie Baker, this unidimensional pain scale contains several drawings of faces in a row. From left to right the faces exhibit a higher level of pain or discomfort. Pediatricians use this type of scale as it lends itself to use with children, especially when the faces are drawn in a way children can understand. The child picks the one face that best describes the way he feels. The scale adapts to use by older adults who may have difficulty selecting a point on a line.

    Numeric Rating Scale

    • The numeric rating scale provides the patient with instructions to place a number in the box provided that represents the level of pain being experienced. Guidelines indicate that 0 will represent no pain and 100 the worst pain ever. Use this scale alone or combine it with the HVAS to obtain a more accurate pain evaluation.

    Verbal Rating Scale

    • The verbal rating scale provides a choice of words for the patient to consider when reporting pain. Those words, according to Medscape, include none, mild, discomforting, distressing, horrible and excruciating. This scale provides yet another means of reducing subjective pain to a tangible indicator. Like all unidimensional pain scales the patient completes the scale at each appointment. Comparing the results allows the physician to evaluate progress made in reducing pain and the patient's perception of his improvement.

Pain Management - Related Articles