How to Score QVAS: A Comprehensive Guide

Are you a chiropractor who wants to accurately measure your patients’ pain levels over time? Or are you a patient who wants to understand how your chiropractor is assessing your pain? Look no further than the Quadruple Visual Analogue Scale (QVAS).

Understanding the QVAS

The QVAS is a reliable and valid method for pain measurement that is widely used by chiropractors. It is based on four specific factors:

Factor 1: Pain Level at the Time of the Current Office Visit

At the beginning of each appointment, patients are asked to rate their pain level on a scale from 0 to 10, with 0 being no pain and 10 being the worst pain possible.

Factor 2: Typical or Average Pain Since the Last Visit

Patients are also asked to rate their average pain level since their last visit, or since the onset of their condition if they are new patients.

Factor 3: Pain Level at Its Best Since the Last Visit

Patients are asked to rate the best their pain has been since their last visit or the onset of their condition.

Factor 4: Pain Level at Its Worst Since the Last Visit

Finally, patients are asked to rate the worst their pain has been since their last visit or the onset of their condition.

Once patients have rated each of these four factors, the scores from factors 1, 2 and 4 above are averaged and then multiplied by 10 to yield a score from zero to 100. The final score is then categorized as “low-intensity” (pain < 50) or “high-intensity” (pain > 50).

Scoring the Neck/Back Bournemouth Questionnaire

In addition to the QVAS, chiropractors may also use the Bournemouth Questionnaire, a comprehensive outcome measure for back pain. It measures the following seven back pain model traits:

1. Pain Intensity

Patients are asked to rate their pain intensity on a scale from 0 to 10.

2. Daily Activities

Patients are asked to rate how much their back pain has affected their ability to carry out their day-to-day activities on a scale from 0 to 10.

3. Recreational/Social/Family Activities

Patients are asked to rate how much their back pain has affected their social and recreational activities as well as their family activities on a scale from 0 to 10.

4. Anxiousness

Patients are asked to rate how much their back pain has made them feel anxious on a scale from 0 to 10.

5. Depression

Patients are asked to rate how much their back pain has made them feel depressed on a scale from 0 to 10.

6. Work Activities

Patients are asked to rate how much their back pain has affected their work on a scale from 0 to 10.

7. Pain Control

Patients are asked to rate how much they feel able to control their back pain on a scale from 0 to 10.

Each of these seven categories is scored from 0 to 10, with a total possible score of 70, where 70 represents the highest disability score, and zero represents the best spinal health score.

Conclusion

By understanding how chiropractors score the QVAS and Bournemouth Questionnaire, patients can better understand their treatment plans and measure their progress over time. Chiropractors can use these tools to ensure their treatments are effective and efficient.

FAQs

1. How often should chiropractors use the QVAS?

Chiropractors should use the QVAS at the beginning of each appointment to measure their patients’ current pain levels.

2. How can patients use the QVAS to track their own progress?

Patients can compare their QVAS scores from appointment to appointment to see if their pain levels are improving.

3. Are there any limitations to the QVAS?

While the QVAS is a reliable and valid tool for measuring pain, it is only one aspect of a patient’s overall health. Chiropractors should use other evaluations, such as postural and gait evaluations, to get a more complete picture of their patients’ progress.

4. Can patients use the Bournemouth Questionnaire at home?

Yes, patients can use the Bournemouth Questionnaire to measure their own progress at home. However, they should also discuss their scores with their chiropractor at their appointments.

5. Are there any other tools chiropractors can use to assess pain?

Yes, chiropractors can use a variety of tools, such as objective and subjective evaluations, postural and gait evaluations, and diagnostic imaging, to assess their patients’ pain levels.