You’re seeing one form of the visual analogue scale (VAS). This is a helpful tool that measures pain. Patients choose the face that best shows how they feel.
The same kind of measure can be done using numbers. The doctor, nurse, or physical therapist may ask the patient to rate the pain from zero (none) to 10 (worst).
Researchers with the Swedish Lumbar Spine Study say that this simple test is still very accurate. Even small changes in the patient’s symptoms or function show up.
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