Abstract
BACKGROUND: The McGill Pain Questionnaire (MPQ) is one of the most widely used instruments in the world to evaluate patients with chronic pain. However, differences in languages and cultural backgrounds have hindered its standardization in Japan.OBJECTIVE: To standardize the MPQ in Japan.DESIGN: The reliability and validity of a Japanese version of the MPQ (JMPQ) were examined using a translation-based methodology, which followed a format similar to the original MPQ.SETTING: Multidisciplinary pain treatment centre of a university hospital in Japan.PATIENTS: Consecutive out-patients (n=152) with chronic pain.METHODS: Each patient completed the JMPQ, other pain rating scales (visual analogue scale, verbal rating scale, numerical rating scale) and the state-trait anxiety inventory. A subset of these patients (n=40) were tested again two weeks later.RESULTS: Acceptable levels of reliability and validity of the JMPQ, and independence of the JMPQ subscales from other pain rating scales were confirmed by principal component analysis. Chronic pain patients did not show marked levels of anxiety as might have been expected.CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that the JMPQ possesses sufficient merits as a pain rating scale from the standpoint of its reliability and validity. Furthermore, it is suggested that the JMPQ can be used to measure qualitative aspects of pain transcending differences in linguistic characteristics.