They can also help define your pain in mutually understood terms. Pain scales can help doctors determine how much pain you are experiencing and the impact it is having on you. Higher scores are given for elevated or abnormally high levels. A score of 2 indicates they are at baseline, or normal. A score of 1 indicates that these measures are below the baseline, or abnormal. Blood pressure and heart rate are rated according to the normal baseline.There are higher ratings for signs of facial muscle strain. Facial tension is rated at a score of 1 for a completely normal, relaxed face.Lower scores indicate diminished muscle tone and higher scores indicate increased tone or rigidity. Muscle tone is rated at a score of 3 if it is normal.A score of 1 or 2 indicates some movement, and higher scores indicate vigorous movements. Physical movement is given a score of 0 for no movement, which can be a sign of less pain or of illness.There are higher scores for moaning, sobbing, or screaming. Crying is given a score of 1 for no crying.Agitated breathing receives higher ratings. Respiratory distress is rated based on how much a person's breathing reflects pain.Higher ratings are given for increased anxiety and agitation. Calmness is rated with a score of 1 for complete calmness.Alertness is given a score of 1 for deep sleep, 2 for light sleep, 3 for drowsiness, 4 for alertness, and 5 for high alertness.The COMFORT Scale provides a pain rating between nine and 45 based on nine different parameters. People who are sedated in an intensive care unit (ICU) or operating room setting.Adults whose cognition is temporarily impaired by medication or illness.Some of the common populations this scale might be used with include: The COMFORT Scale is a pain scale that may be used by a healthcare provider when a person cannot describe or rate their pain. NIH / Warren Grant Magnusen Clinical Center Others are more useful for people who are highly involved in their own health care. Some of these tools are most suited for people of certain ages. No one particular pain scale is considered ideal or better than the others for every situation. It can also determine if it's caused by the treatment itself. This type of pain scale also helps the healthcare provider decide whether the pain is associated with your medical problem. Qualitative pain scales are helpful in giving your healthcare provider an idea about the cause of your pain. Quantitative scales are especially useful in measuring your response to treatment because they can clearly determine whether your pain has improved or worsened. Categorical scales use words as the primary communication tool and may also incorporate numbers, colors, or relative location to communicate pain.Visual analog scales (VAS) typically ask a patient to mark a place on a scale that matches their level of pain.

Numerical rating scales (NRS) use numbers to rate pain.They generally fall into one of three categories: There are at least 10 pain scales being used today. This article explains the different pain scales healthcare providers use to help patients communicate their levels of pain. All pain scales help improve communication between healthcare providers and patients. Pain scale results can help guide the diagnostic process, track the progression of a condition, and determine how effective a treatment is. For example, while some involve rating the intensity of pain, others give patients a means of characterizing their pain (e.g., stabbing or squeezing). There are several well-designed pain scales that have various benefits. Pain scales are tools that healthcare providers use to help measure and better define a person's pain.

Contraction intensity scale