Pain assessment

The use of therapeutic measures which are designed primarily to modulate pain has high-lighted the need for an accurate and reliable method of pain assessment in the physiotherapy department. Some psychological considerations of pain are reviewed and different methods of pain assessment are described and discussed. The need for a practical pain assessment tool is emphasised in the ongoing assessment of the patient by the physiotherapist. A pain assessment model is proposed which can incorporate a Visual Analogue Scale, a record of analgesic intake and a record of the patient's activity level. These parameters can be recorded and displayed in graph form, which provides a clear picture of symptom relief and treatment effectiveness over a period of time.