Efficacy of Pain Scales in the Athletic Population and Pairing With Algometric Measurements

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine if subjective pain scales commonly used (a) are correlated to each other and with algometric measurements and (b) differ between collegiate athletes and noncollegiate athletes. There were consistent significant positive correlations between all pain scales, regardless of groupings (collegiate athletes: r = .234–.730, p ≤ .007; noncollegiate athletes: r = .518–.820, p ≤ .002; female: r = .437–.690, p ≤ .010; male: r = .492–.784, p ≤ .005). These findings suggest that the pain scales studied could be used with both athletic and nonathletic populations. Algometric assessments may be better suited for patients with altered pain processing compared with those without.