Self-reported pain intensity. Free to use.
NRS Pain (Numeric Rating Scale for pain (0–10)) is a validated clinical instrument used to assess self-reported pain intensity. The instrument contains 1 item.
Source / attribution: Hartrick CT et al. Pain Pract. 2003;3(4):310-316.
The instrument's primary construct — self-reported pain intensity — is operationalized through a fixed set of items, each with a defined response format. This standardisation is what allows NRS Pain scores to be compared meaningfully across clinicians, sites, and studies.
Like all screening or assessment instruments, NRS Pain is a structured aid — not a diagnostic test in isolation. Results should be interpreted alongside history, examination, and clinical context. Where a score crosses an actionable threshold, the next step is typically a more detailed clinical evaluation rather than a definitive diagnosis.
Answer all 1 item below to see your NRS Pain score and interpretation.
All scoring runs in your browser. No data is sent anywhere — close the tab and the answers are gone.
NRS Pain uses simple summation: each item's selected response is converted to a numeric value, and the values are added to produce a total score. Reverse-scored items are inverted before summation.
The cutoffs below are drawn from the published validation literature. Always interpret in clinical context.
| Score range | Band | Interpretation |
|---|---|---|
| 0–0 | No pain | |
| 1–3 | Mild pain | Mild pain — generally does not interfere with function. |
| 4–6 | Moderate pain | Moderate pain — interferes with concentration and tasks. |
| 7–10 | Severe pain | Severe pain — markedly interferes with all activities; treat actively. |
This is an illustrative walkthrough, not a real patient. Follow the same four steps with your own answers — or use the live calculator at the top of this page.
Read each question and choose the response that best fits. Each response has a number next to it — that number is the item's score. The example below uses illustrative answers.
| # | Item | Example response | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rate your pain right now (0 = no pain → 10 = worst imaginable) | 2 | 2 |
Add up all the item scores you noted in Step 1.
2 = 2
Find the row in the interpretation table whose range contains your total:
Total = 2 falls between 1 and 3 → Mild pain
Mild pain. Mild pain — generally does not interfere with function.
A score is one input alongside history and examination. NRS Pain supports clinical judgment — it does not replace it.
If NRS Pain doesn't fit your context, related instruments in pain include:
| Scale | Measures | Items | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| PEG | Brief pain-impact assessment in primary care | 3 | — |
| LANSS | Screen for neuropathic component of pain | 7 | — |
| DN4 | Screen for neuropathic pain | 10 | — |
| APGAR Score | Rapid assessment of newborn at 1 and 5 min | 5 | — |
| ASA Physical Status | Pre-operative health status | 1 | — |
| CHA2DS2-VASc | Annual stroke risk in non-valvular atrial fibrillation | 8 | — |
| CURB-65 | 30-day mortality in community-acquired pneumonia | 5 | — |
| Glasgow Coma Scale | Level of consciousness after head injury | 3 | — |
NRS Pain (Numeric Rating Scale for pain (0–10)) is a validated instrument that assesses self-reported pain intensity. It is designed for clinicians, medical students, evidence-synthesis researchers. The 1 items are summed to produce a total score.
NRS Pain contains 1 items. Item scores are summed to produce the total. Scores run from 0 to 10, grouped into 4 interpretation bands from ‘No pain’ up to ‘Severe pain’.
On the NRS Pain (total score 0–10), scores of 7–10 fall in the ‘Severe pain’ band — interpreted as: Severe pain — markedly interferes with all activities; treat actively. The full ladder is: 0 — No pain: .; 1–3 — Mild pain: Mild pain — generally does not interfere with function.; 4–6 — Moderate pain: Moderate pain — interferes with concentration and tasks.; 7–10 — Severe pain: Severe pain — markedly interferes with all activities; treat actively. A higher score reflects a more severe presentation, and crossing a cutoff is a prompt to step up assessment or care — but these bands are screening thresholds, not diagnoses.
Scores of 0 fall in the ‘No pain’ band: . A low score is reassuring but does not by itself rule out the underlying condition — if symptoms or clinical suspicion persist, reassess over time or use a complementary evaluation rather than relying on the number alone.
Yes — NRS Pain is in the public domain and free for clinical, educational, and research use without permission. You can use this calculator and the scale itself freely; if you publish results or reproduce the scale, cite the original source paper.
Hartrick CT et al. The numeric rating scale for clinical pain measurement: a ratio measure? Pain Pract. 2003;3(4):310-316. This is the original publication for the NRS Pain — the reference to cite when reporting results.
No. NRS Pain is a structured assessment aid, not a diagnostic test. Its proper role is clinical assessment of self-reported pain intensity — it standardizes assessment and flags who needs closer evaluation, but the result must be weighed alongside history, examination, and clinical context. When a score conflicts with your clinical impression, clinical judgment takes precedence; treatment decisions should never rest on a screening score alone.
NRS Pain is supported by the following peer-reviewed sources: