[go: up one dir, main page]
More Web Proxy on the site http://driver.im/ Skip to main content
Springer Nature Link
Log in

The visual analogue scale: Its use in pain measurement

  • Review
  • Published:
Rheumatology International Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

Use of pain rating scales, especially the visual analogue scale (VAS), has increased dramatically in the last decade. Consideration of the VAS in terms of its physical structure and the patient's behaviour when confronted with the scale, casts doubt on its validity. It is nonlinear and prone to bias which limits its use as a serial measure of pain severity. Measuring pain intensity alone imposes further limitations. The McGill Pain Questionnaire measuring several dimensions of pain appears to be a better alternative.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
£29.99 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or eBook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Price includes VAT (United Kingdom)

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Downie WW, Leatham PA, Rhind VM, Pickup ME, Wright V (1978) The visual analogue scale in the assessment of grip strength. Ann Rheum Dis 37:382–384

    Google Scholar 

  2. Huskisson EC (1982) Measurement of pain. J Rheumatol 9:768–769

    Google Scholar 

  3. Revill SI, Robinson JO, Rosen M, Hogg MIJ (1976) The reliability of a linear analogue for evaluating pain. Anaesthesia 31:1191–1198

    Google Scholar 

  4. Huskisson EC (1974) Measurement of pain. Lancet II:1127–1131

    Google Scholar 

  5. Scott J, Huskisson EC (1979) Vertical or horizontal visual analogue scales. Ann Rheum Dis 38:560

    Google Scholar 

  6. Hardy JD, Wolff HG, Goodell H (1952) Pain sensations and reactions. Williams and Wilkins, Baltimore

    Google Scholar 

  7. Carlsson AM (1983) Assessment of chronic pain. I. Aspects of the reliability and validity of the visual analogue scale. Pain 16:87–101

    Google Scholar 

  8. Huskisson EC (1976) Assessment for clinical trials. Clin Rheum Dis 2:37–49

    Google Scholar 

  9. Poulton EC (1968) The new psychophysics: six models for magnitude estimation. Psychol Bull 69:1–19

    Google Scholar 

  10. Scott J, Huskisson EC (1979) Accuracy of subjective measurements made with or without previous scores: an important source of error in serial measurement of subjective states. Ann Rheum Dis 38:558–559

    Google Scholar 

  11. Scott J, Huskisson EC (1976) Graphic representation of pain. Pain 2:175–184

    Google Scholar 

  12. Ohnhaus EE, Adler R (1975) Methodological problems in the measurement of pain: a comparison between the verbal rating scale and the visual analogue scale. Pain 1:379–384

    Google Scholar 

  13. Stevens SS, Galanter EH (1975) Ratio scales and category scales for a dozen perceptual continua. J Exp Psychol 54:377–411

    Google Scholar 

  14. Stevens JC (1958) Stimulus spacing and the judgement of loudness. J Exp Psychol 56:246–250

    Google Scholar 

  15. Gracely RH (1979) Psychophysical assessment of human pain. In: Bonica JJ, Liebeskind JC, Albe-Fessard DG (eds) Advances in pain research and therapy. Raven, New York, pp 805–824

    Google Scholar 

  16. Fowles M, Langley GB, Simms R, Sirett P, Vlieg M, Wigley RD (1982) Comparative effects of piroxicam and naproxen after missed dosage. International Symposium of the Management of the Arthritides, Kyoto

  17. Houde RW (1982) Methods for measuring clinical pain in humans. Acta Anaesthesiol Scand (Suppl) 74:25–29

    Google Scholar 

  18. Grossi E, Borghi C, Cerchiari EL, Della Puppa T, Francucci B (1983) Analogue chromatic continuous scale (ACCS): a new method for pain assessment. Clin Exp Rheum 1:337–340

    Google Scholar 

  19. Langley GB, Sheppeard H (1984) Problems associated with pain measurement: comparison of the visual analogue and verbal rating scales. Clin Exp Rheumatol 2:231–234

    Google Scholar 

  20. Woodforde JM, Merskey H (1972) Some relationships between subjective measures of pain. J Psychosom Res 16:173–178

    Google Scholar 

  21. Downie WW, Leatham PA, Rhind VM, Wright V, Branco JA, Anderson JA (1978) Studies with pain rating scales. Ann Rheum Dis 37:378–381

    Google Scholar 

  22. Melzack R, Torgerson WS (1971) On the language of pain. Anaesthesiology 34:50–59

    Google Scholar 

  23. Melzack R (1975) The McGill pain questionnaire: major properties and scoring methods. Pain 1:277–299

    Google Scholar 

  24. Gracely RH, McGrath P, Dubner R (1978) Validity and sensitivity of ratio scales of sensory and affective verbal pain descriptors: manipulation of affect by diazepam. Pain 5:19–29

    Google Scholar 

  25. Burckhardt CS (1984) The use of the McGill pain questionnaire in assessing arthritis pain. Pain 19:305–314

    Google Scholar 

  26. Reading AE (1983) The McGill pain questionnaire: an appraisal. In: Melzack R (ed) Pain measurement and assessment. Raven, New York, pp 55–61

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Medical Research Laboratory, Public Hospital, Palmerston North, New Zealand

    G. B. Langley & H. Sheppeard

Authors
  1. G. B. Langley
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. H. Sheppeard
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Langley, G.B., Sheppeard, H. The visual analogue scale: Its use in pain measurement. Rheumatol Int 5, 145–148 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00541514

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00541514

Key words