Table 2.

The “PQRST” approach to evaluating pain (11)

Components of the Assessment	Questions to Explore
P=Provokes and palliates	What causes the pain?
	What makes the pain better or worse?
Q=Quality	What does the pain feel like?
	Is it sharp? Dull? Stabbing? Burning? Crushing?
R=Region and radiation	Where is the pain located?
	Is it confined to one place?
	Does the pain radiate? If so, where to?
S=Severity	How severe is the pain?
T=Time (or Temporal)	When did the pain start?
	Is it present all of the time?
	Are you pain-free at night or during the day?
	Are you pain-free on movement?