The exact level of an individual’s pain cannot be directly measured or known by their care provider. Pain has to be gauged by the individual themselves. A variety of questionnaires and rating scales may be used to identify a person’s pain level and when it changes. None of these methods can be used to compare the pain of one individual to another. Commonly used subjective ways to measure pain and its effects include: 0-10 Pain Scale, Brief Pain Inventory Diagram, PEG-3 Pain Screening Tool, Keele STarT Back Tool, Oswestry Low Back Pain Disability Questionnaire, and Pain Catastrophizing Scale.
0-10 Pain Scale
Brief Pain Inventory Diagram Open PDF: Brief Pain Inventory Short Form PEG-3 Pain Screening Tool Open PDF: PEG-3 Keele STarT Back Tool Open PDF: Keele STarT Back Tool Oswestry Low Back Pain Disability Questionnaire Open PDF: Oswestry Low Back Pain Disability Questionnaire Pain Catastrophizing Scale Open PDF: Pain Catastrophizing Scale