Pain language in fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis

Using the Italian version of the McGill Pain Questionnaire (MGPQ), the language of pain was assessed in three chronic rheumatic diseases, namely Fibromyalgia syndrome (FS), Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) and Osteoarthritis (OA). The Pain Rating Index (PRI) of the MGPQ clearly allowed OA to be distinguished from RA and FS. Words of the affective and sensory subclasses were chosen more frequently in FS, RA and OA respectively. By analyzing words chosen by at least 33% of the patients, a thermal sensory descriptor arose in FS. Data from this study suggest that the MGPQ-PRI might be useful for the assessment of fibromyalgic pain in a clinical setting and during follow-up of the disease.