Eleven numbered boxes and two anchors. The NRS is the most common pain intensity measure in clinical trials because everyone understands it, including over the phone. This template runs it as a daily diary.
Free sandbox · No credit card · 21 CFR Part 11 aligned
Evening pain diary
Day 5 · Baseline week
Rate your average pain over the last 24 hours
0 no pain · 10 worst pain imaginable
Rate your worst pain over the last 24 hours
At a glance
Use in trials
The numeric rating scale wins on practicality. Participants understand it without training, it works on paper, phones and telephone interviews, and it produces a number that needs no measuring. Consensus recommendations for chronic pain trials list the 0 to 10 NRS as a core measure of pain intensity, and regulators are familiar with it as a primary endpoint.
What makes NRS data good or bad is everything around the number: the exact wording, the recall period, when it is collected, and whether daily entries are complete. Fix the wording ("average pain over the last 24 hours"), collect it at the same time each day, and track compliance so weekly averages rest on enough days.
Average pain over 24 hours is the most common primary measure in chronic pain. Worst pain is often a secondary measure and is sensitive in conditions with flares. Current pain ("right now") suits acute pain studies with frequent assessments after a procedure. Do not mix them in one analysis.
Week 6 average
4 / 10
In Capture
The NRS runs as a recurring diary in the participant's phone browser with an evening completion window, so entries describe the day they refer to rather than being filled in later. Reminders go out when due, the next day and before the window closes, and compliance is visible on the dashboard.
At-risk participants
Build an NRS diary in the sandbox and complete tonight's entry.
Administration
The NRS works in almost any mode: on paper, on a phone, or read aloud during a telephone follow-up. Keep the mode consistent within a study, because a number chosen on a screen and a number spoken to a nurse are not always the same. Where site staff record a participant's verbal rating on a visit form, record that it was verbal.
For young children, numeric scales are replaced by faces scales or observational scales, and for people who cannot self-report, by observer measures. Keep the adult NRS for participants who can use numbers reliably, typically from late childhood.
Interpreting change
| Reduction from baseline | Commonly described as | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| About 10 to 20% | Minimally important | Sensitivity analyses |
| About 30%, or about 2 points | Moderately important | Common responder definition in chronic pain trials |
| 50% or more | Substantial | Stringent responder definition |
Benchmarks come from consensus recommendations for chronic pain trials (IMMPACT). Pre-specify the responder definition in the analysis plan, and consider baseline severity.
Before go-live
Average, worst or current pain, with the recall period.
Same end labels everywhere.
Diary, visit form or phone, not mixed.
Same time each day with reminders.
Captured on the same entry.
Pre-specified in the analysis plan.
The 11-point 0 to 10 version is by far the most common in trials. Use the same version throughout a study.
Yes. It works read aloud. Record the mode and keep it consistent within the study.
An 11-point scale from 0 (no pain) to 10 (worst pain imaginable) on which participants choose a number.
Commonly 1 to 3 mild, 4 to 6 moderate and 7 to 10 severe, though cut-points vary by condition.
Both are accepted. The NRS is easier for many participants and works when read aloud; the VAS offers finer resolution.
About 2 points or 30% is commonly cited for chronic pain, with 50% considered substantial.
Yes. It is a generic format.
Daily NRS diaries with windows and reminders. Free sandbox.