DVPRS 2.0 Pain Scale Chart for Service Personnel and Veterans

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Pain remains a significant health problem among active duty service members. Pain states often experienced by military populations include musculoskeletal pain, specifically low back pain and joint pain, headaches, and acute and chronic pain from combat injuries. In 2006 alone, 743,547 injury-related musculoskeletal conditions were reported among military service members with 82% attributed to inflammation and pain from exertional overuse

To leverage the best available evidence, clinical expertise, and collaboration to develop and communicate consensus recommendations in support of Air Force, Army, Navy, and VHA pain management practice, education, and research, four supplemental questions measure how much pain interferes with usual activity and sleep, and affects mood and contributes to stress.

Defense and Veterans Center for Integrative Pain Management (DVCIPM)

• Pain Research: Defense and Veterans Center for Integrative Pain Management (DVCIPM) conducts research on pain management, treatment, tracking and impact.
• Pain Education and Training: DVCIPM collaborates with clinicians, researchers, and subject matter experts across DoD, VA, and civilian medicine to develop and disseminate pain management education and training content.
• Clinical Pain Medicine: DVCIPM fosters the development of innovative pain treatments. Our goal is to advance resources that will aid the diagnosis and treatment of pain, and make them readily available to the Soldier, Sailor, Airman, Marine, and Veteran.

U.S. Defense and Veterans Pain Rating Scale (DVPRS 2.0)

The U.S. Defense and Veterans Pain Rating Scale (DVPRS 2.0) is a pain assessment tool that utilizes a numerical rating scale enhanced by functional word descriptors, color coding, and pictorial facial expressions matched to pain levels. The DVPRS 2.0 is a reliable and valid instrument that provides standard language and metrics to communicate pain and related outcomes.

The Defense and Veterans Pain Rating Scale, DVPRS, was originally created in 2010 to increase understanding of pain intensity levels among military personnel and veterans experiencing acute or chronic pain. It was also developed to improve communication and documentation during transitions in care of military personnel and veterans. While it includes a numerical scale, it also includes functional word descriptors, color coding and pictures of facial expressions to describe pain levels. Additional questions are included to gather more information about how pain affects everyday activities, such as sleep and mood.

The DVPRS 2.0 has proven to be a reliable, valid and all-encompassing tool for veterans and military personnel alike. While the focus of the scale is for assessing pain levels, it also measures other health factors, such as sleep, mood and stress. Although it is a fairly new pain scale, it has been widely accepted and used in U.S. Veterans Health Administration (VA) hospitals.

Psychometric testing was performed on a revised using data from 307 active duty service members and Veterans experiencing acute or chronic pain. A new set of facial representations designating pain levels was tested. Results demonstrated acceptable internal consistency reliability (Cronbach's alpha = 0.871) and test-retest reliability (r = 0.637 to r = 0.774) for the five items. Excellent inter-rater agreement was established for correctly ordering faces depicting pain levels and aligning them on the pain intensity scale (Kendall's coefficient of concordance, W = 0.95 and 0.959, respectively). Construct validity was supported by an exploratory principal component factor analysis and known groups validity testing. Most participants, 70.9%, felt that the DVPRS 2.0 was superior to other pain rating scales.

Measuring Pain Level with DVPRS 2.0 - How Does the DVPRS 2.0 Scale Work?

The DVPRS 2.0 is a graphic tool clinicians can use to facilitate self-reported pain diagnoses from patients. Look at the Defense and Veterans Pain Rating Scale below and read the descriptions under each number. Please rate the severity of your current pain by circling the corresponding number (0-10). The DVPRS 2.0 also includes an additional visual tool: facial expressions that correspond with each number. The faces range from a full happy face representing a pain level of zero to a grimacing face representing a pain level of 10.

The DVPRS 2.0 consists of a basic traffic-light color code:

• Green: Represents mild pain with a scale ranging from 0-4
• Yellow: Represents moderate pain with a scale ranging from 5-6
• Red: Represents severe pain with a scale ranging from 7-10

DVPRS 2.0 Numerical Pain Scale and Descriptors

Word descriptors are attached to each number on the DVPRS 2.0:

The Defense and Veterans Pain Rating Scale Chart

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DOD/VA  Pain Supplemental Questions

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View and download a printable PDF of the DVPRS 2.0 Pain Scale Chart.

References:

*National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.

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