The use of common pain experiences in designing a pain intensity scale for epidemiological purposes.
The planning of services for the treatment of chronic pain does not seem to be based on adequate information. Although some epidemiological studies exist already, there is a need for more epidemiological knowledge. We have tried to develop a mail questionnaire which may, to some extent, separate pain sensory intensity from pain affect and behaviour. In this paper we refer to the development and testing of a pain sensory intensity scale based on common pain experience. 155 subjects classified the intensity of 15 common pain states. The classifications were then compared. The results indicate that there are pain states which many people have experienced and which they are able to rank according to pain intensity. The pain sensory intensity scale we based on five of these pain experiences or groups of pain experience.
Brattberg
G
G
Pain Clinic, Sandviken Hospital, Sweden.
Thorslund
M
M
Wikman
A
A
D000328:Adult; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010146:Pain / Q000523:psychology*; D010147:Pain Measurement / Q000379:methods*; D012684:Sensory Thresholds; D012803:Sick Role