SF-MPQ: Short-Form McGill Pain Questionnaire

What this assessment is

The Short-Form McGill Pain Questionnaire, or SF-MPQ, is a brief self-report measure of the sensory and emotional qualities of pain.

Ronald Melzack introduced it in 1987 as a shorter alternative to the original McGill Pain Questionnaire. It includes 15 pain descriptors, one rating of present pain intensity, and a visual analogue scale.

The SF-MPQ produces several results. It does not produce one diagnostic pain score.

Keep them separate.

This page covers the original SF-MPQ. It is not the later 22-item SF-MPQ-2.

Version always matters.

Who it was designed for

The original development study evaluated the short form in people with different types of pain. The goal was to preserve useful information about pain quality while reducing the time needed for the full McGill questionnaire.

The SF-MPQ has since been used across acute and chronic pain settings, including musculoskeletal, surgical, dental, and cancer pain.

It is intended for people who can describe their own pain. Language and cultural adaptation matter because the measure depends on the meaning of pain descriptors.

Use evidence for the exact translation and population. A descriptor that works well in one language may not carry the same meaning in another.

How it is administered

The person rates 15 pain descriptors by intensity. Eleven represent sensory qualities and four represent affective, or emotionally distressing, qualities.

Each descriptor is rated from 0 to 3. The form also asks for a separate present pain intensity rating and a visual analogue rating.

Administration usually takes a few minutes.

Use the validated form for the chosen language. Do not replace unfamiliar descriptor words without testing the adapted version.

Words carry context.

Language changes meaning.

The recall period should be stated. Studies may ask about current pain or pain during another defined period.

What it measures

The SF-MPQ separates three parts of the pain experience:

• sensory qualities describe how pain feels physically
• affective qualities describe its distressing emotional character
• intensity ratings describe how strong the pain feels

This can provide more detail than an intensity number alone.

The sensory and affective profile does not identify a pain mechanism. Similar descriptions can occur with different medical conditions, and people with the same condition can use different descriptions.

How scoring works

The 15 descriptor ratings produce three sums:

• The sensory score adds 11 ratings and ranges from 0 to 33.
• The affective score adds four ratings and ranges from 0 to 12.
• The descriptor total adds all 15 ratings and ranges from 0 to 45.

Higher values indicate greater reported intensity across the relevant pain qualities.

Present pain intensity is scored separately from 0 to 5. The visual analogue result is also reported separately, often as a 0-to-10-centimetre or 0-to-100-millimetre value.

Do not add either intensity rating to the 0-to-45 descriptor total.

Do not merge them.

The standard publication does not give a general rule for estimating missing descriptor ratings. Do not prorate without a validated protocol.

How to interpret an SF-MPQ score

Begin by identifying which score is being reported.

The sensory score reflects the rated strength of sensory pain qualities. The affective score reflects the rated strength of distressing pain qualities. The descriptor total summarizes both.

The separate intensity ratings answer a different question: how strong the pain feels now or during the stated period.

Intensity is separate.

The original SF-MPQ does not establish universal mild, moderate, or severe bands. A higher value means more strongly endorsed pain qualities, not a more severe diagnosis.

There is no universal category.

Profiles are descriptive.

For repeated measurement, use the same language, form, recall period, and scoring method. Changes in one component may occur without matching changes in the others.

Scores can diverge.

What the score cannot tell you

The SF-MPQ cannot diagnose nerve pain, inflammatory pain, injury, or any other cause.

It cannot show how much tissue damage is present or whether a pain report is credible. Pain description is personal and can be affected by language, prior experience, mood, attention, and treatment timing.

Pain language varies.

Pain is personal.

A low descriptor total does not rule out severe pain. A high affective score does not diagnose a mental health condition.

The result also cannot select a treatment on its own.

Evidence and limitations

The original study found that the short form captured information similar to the long McGill questionnaire while taking less time. Later work has supported its use across many pain populations.

An independent Arabic validation study illustrates why each language version needs its own evidence. Translation can change how a descriptor is understood even when the scoring structure stays the same.

A systematic review of McGill questionnaire measurement properties found substantial variation in study methods and populations. That limits simple comparisons across settings.

The original SF-MPQ also has limited coverage of qualities associated with neuropathic pain. The SF-MPQ-2 expanded the descriptor set and changed the response format to address some of that limitation.

Use the SF-MPQ when the original form fits the purpose. Keep the individual pain history, medical assessment, function, and treatment context beside its scores.