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Table 1

Self-report measures of pain characteristics that may be used in neck pain

MeasureStylePsychometric statusUtility
SDS (verbal pain report)4- to 5-point scale describes current pain intensityLack of sensitivity in detecting small changesMeasures pain intensity. Simple
VAS10-cm line oriented vertically or horizontallyGood reliability and validity; criterion standard. Continuous scoreMeasures pain intensity. Easy to use
NRSVerbal or written scale from 0 to 10 or 0 to 100. Describes pain intensity as a percentage of 100More sensitive than SDS but less sensitive than VAS in detecting small changesMeasures pain intensity
MPQ. Also has short form (SF-MPQ)4520 Sets of adjectives to select one in each relevant category. Short form has 15-item adjective checklist and includes VAS and SDS for pain intensityWell-established reliability and validity. Validated in many languages.Measures quality of pain; 3 dimensions: affective, evaluative, and sensory. Includes also pain intensity measures