Visual analogue scale, numeric pain rating scale and the McGill pain Questionnaire: an overview of psychometric properties

Abstract It is essential for physical therapists to use outcome measures that identify and measure a change in patient status; however, pain is a multidimensional experience that is often difficult to measure. A variety of instruments have been developed in an attempt to obtain an accurate measure of patients' perceived level of pain. Three of the most common outcome measures utilised by physical therapists include the visual analogue scale, the numeric pain rating scale and the McGill Pain Questionnaire. The purpose of this review is to describe the psychometric properties, including reliability and responsiveness, of these outcome measures.