How we measure pain, discomfort and movement in a patient

The oxford scale goes hand in hand with the VAS scale. It is a pain level scale, zero is no pain, one is a very small amount of discomfort, and two is perhaps a score level of discomfort.

The scale goes up to the count of ten. Level five of the Oxford scale is the half way mark (a TENS machine treatment works best with pain over the score of five of this Oxford scale).

It is felt that when a patient through injury, disability and pain the score is never taken above ten. Ten would be that patients height of pain and this scale does not go over ten, whoever the person maybe. This scale measures the level of pain that is relative just to the individual sufferer.

“Pain: An unpleasant sensation that can range from mild, localized discomfort to agony. Pain has both physical and emotional components. The physical part of pain results from nerve stimulation. Pain may be contained to a discrete area, as in an injury, or it can be more diffuse, as in disorders like fibromyalgia. Pain is mediated by specific nerve fibers that carry the pain impulses to the brain where their conscious appreciation may be modified by many factors.”

At Ann Clare physiotherapy we use two scientific and medical scales to measure the levels of pain, mobility and function. These scales are called to Oxford scale and the VAS (visual analogue scale).

For each patient the use of scales quickly identifies the level of a patient's pain and mobility due to their injury or condition.

In this example using VAS to measure a patient's mobility and function, we have 3 patients a, b and c. The scale is measured from 0 to 10 with zero meaning the patient has an inability to do anything for themselves and ten meaning they have complete normality.

Patient a is rated at 2 as he is using a walking aid. He needs help when dressing and would not be mobile enough to be able to drive. Any rating between 0 to 4 would mean the patient would not be able to drive whilst a rating higher than this they would have the mobility and function to be able to drive a car.

Patient b can wash and dress themselves, can drive and is able to move up and down stairs whilst patient a is unable to manage stairs. Patient c can drive, go to work and enjoy the last stage of recovery.

Measuring movement using a Goniometer

Measuring knee joint range with a goniometer and a smaller goniometer for the measurement of smaller joints such as finger joints. Each and every joint of the musculo-skeletal system has a specific range of movement specific to each and everyone. Injury, pain and stiffness all affect the full range of movement.

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