Clinical Scale for Neuropathic Pain

Abstract

Neuropathic pain caused by a lesion or disease of the somatosensory nervous system is underdiagnosed and difficult to treat. Questionnaires based on self-reported symptoms have improved diagnosis and management of neuropathic pain. Visual analog scale and numeric rating scale are most well-known unidimensional pain questionnaires. Multidimensional questionnaire or specialized questionnaire for neuropathic pain are more useful to diagnose neuropathic pain. Screening questionnaires help to identify neuropathic pain easily, and assessment questionnaires make it possible to create phenotypic profiles of neuropathic pain and determine an efficacy of management.