Elisabeth Rosenthal reflects on the complex nature of pain and the limitations of the zero-to-10 pain scale that has become ubiquitous in medical care. Originating from a push for more attention to pain management in the ’90s, the zero-to-10 scale fails to capture the multifaceted nature of pain and has contributed to the opioid epidemic. However, recent efforts, such as the Early Phase Pain Investigation Clinical Network (EPPIC-Net), are seeking alternative treatments and ways to measure pain more effectively. The study of pain remains challenging due to its complexity, but advancements in understanding neural pathways and neurotransmitters offer hope for better pain management in the future.
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Pain Doesn’t Belong on a Scale of Zero to 10
