Purpose
This study examined the utility of PainVision (Nipro, Osaka, Japan) calculating the degree of lower back pain, as compared with conventional pain assessment (Numeric Rating Scale [NRS], McGill Pain Questionnaire [MPQ]).
Materials and Methods
A retrospective study was conducted from March 2021 to July 2021 on 40 patients with low back pain. NRS score, MPQ score and the degree of pain calculated by PainVision were measured before and after facet joint block in each patient. An electrode was patched on opposite side of lower back surface at which the patients complain of pain and the degree of pain was automatically calculated (degree of pain=100×[current producing pain comparable with low back pain–current at perception threshold/current at perception threshold]). Correlations between NRS and MPQ scores and the degree of pain were determined using Spearman’s rank correlation test.
Results
There was a strong correlation between the NRS and MPQ scores at each time point (before: rs=0.67, p<0.0001, after: rs=0.78, p<0.0001). The degree of pain before facet joint block also showed a moderate correlation with NRS and MPQ scores at each time point (NRS: rs=0.60, p<0.0001, MPQ: rs=0.343, p<0.03). The change in the degree of pain after facet joint block showed a moderate correlation with changes in the NRS and MPQ scores (NRS: rs=0.509, p<0.0001, MPQ: rs=0.581, p<0.0001).
Conclusions
The Pain vision can evaluate lower back pain well and quantify it in the form of pain degree, which is helpful for objective quantitative analysis of lower back pain.