Description and initial validation of a novel measure of pain intensity: the Numeric Rating Scale of Underlying Pain without concurrent Analgesic use.

ABSTRACT:Although many individuals with chronic pain use analgesics, the methods used in many randomized controlled trials (RCTs) do not sufficiently account for confounding by differential post-randomization analgesic use. This may lead to underestimation of average treatment effects and diminished power. We introduce (1) a new measure-the Numeric Rating Scale of Underlying Pain without concurrent Analgesic use (NRS-UP(A))-which can shift the estimand of interest in an RCT to target effects of a treatment on pain intensity in the hypothetical situation where analgesic use was not occurring at the time of outcome assessment; and (2) a new pain construct-an individuals' perceived effect of analgesic use on pain intensity (EA). The NRS-UP(A) may be used as a secondary outcome in RCTs of point treatments or nonpharmacologic treatments. Among 662 adults with back pain in primary care, participants' mean value of the NRS-UP(A) among those using analgesics was 1.2 NRS points higher than their value on the conventional pain intensity NRS, reflecting a mean EA value of -1.2 NRS points and a perceived beneficial effect of analgesics. More negative values of EA (ie, greater perceived benefit) were associated with a greater number of analgesics used but not with pain intensity, analgesic type, or opioid dose. The NRS-UP(A) and EA were significantly associated with future analgesic use 6 months later, but the conventional pain NRS was not. Future research is needed to determine whether the NRS-UP(A), used as a secondary outcome may allow pain RCTs to target alternative estimands with clinical relevance.