Pain measurement: A comparison using horizontal and vertical visual analogue scales

The McGill Pain Questionnaire (MPQ) is widely used in assessing a variety o f pain problems. MPQ has been found to be sensitive enough to detect differ ences in pain relief and differences between acute and chronic pain. It req uires, however, 5 to 10 minutes to administer. Because of this time factor, the Short-Form McGill Pain Questionnaire (SF-MPQ) was developed. A visual analogue scale (VAS) was not included in the original MPQ but is part of th e SF-MPQ. Studies addressing the best way to present a VAS suggest that a v ertical line is easier for patients to see; however, the VAS on the SF-MPQ is a horizontal line. This study examined the relationship between SF-MPQ s cores with both the horizontal and vertical VAS. Copyright (C) 2000 by W.B. Saunders Company.