The percentage improvement in Pain Scale as a measure of physiotherapy treatment effects

Abstract

Change in pain is a useful outcome to determine the effectiveness of physiotherapy with many musculoskeletal conditions but is difficult to measure due to the subjective, multidimensional nature of pain and the time taken for measurement. The purpose of this study was to look at the validity and reliability of a quick, easy to administer verbal percentage change in pain rating scale. Thirty-eight subjects had a Short Form McGill Pain Questionnaire (SFMPQ) administered both prior to initial assessment and at their last treatment session. They were also asked to rate their change expressed as a percentage. Good correlations were shown between the percentage change in pain score and all components of the SFMPQ except the affective component. Inter-rater reliability was also very high. In conclusion, the Percentage Improvement in Pain Scale (PIPS) has been shown to be a reliable and valid outcome measure compared to the SFMPQ. The PIPS provides a quick and reliable alternative to the SFMPQ.