Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 13, 2026

The Multiple Sclerosis Performance Test (MSPT): An iPad-Based Disability Assessment Tool
Published on: June 30, 2014
The scope and nature of pain in persons with multiple sclerosis
D M Ehde1, T L Osborne, M A Hanley
1Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Box 359740, 325 9th Avenue, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA 98104-2499, USA. ehde@u.washington.edu
Abstract:
Much remains unknown about the scope, nature, and impact of pain on the lives of persons with multiple sclerosis (MS). In the present study, 180 community dwelling adults with MS completed a postal survey that included demographic measures, MS disease measures, and several standardized measures of pain, including pain intensity, variability, location, and pain-related interference. Some 66% of the sample reported pain, 25% of whom reported severe pain. Persons with pain reported an average of 6.6 distinct pain sites. Using the Brief Pain Inventory Interference Scale, the average level of overall pain interference was 3.33 (0-10 scale) in the group reporting pain. The highest levels of pain interference were reported for sleep, recreational activities, and work in and outside the home. Persons with pain were more likely to report greater MS disease severity, poorer psychological functioning, and poorer health than persons with MS but not pain. Persons with pain were also less likely to be employed. These findings are consistent with previous research that shows that pain is common in MS, that it is severe in a substantial subset of these individuals and has the potential to negatively impact physical and psychosocial functioning over and above the effects of MS itself.
Related Concept Videos
Nociception
Blood and Nerve Supply to the Bones
Nutrient Artery
The nutrient artery is the main blood vessel that enters the diaphysis via the nutrient foramen. While most long bones have only one nutrient foramen, large bones, such as the femur, may have two. This...
Analgesia and Pain Management
Pain
Multiple Sclerosis l: Introduction

