Abstract
The first and most important step in pain management is to correctly assess it. Short-form McGill Pain Questionnaire-2(SF-MPQ-2) and Multidimensional Pain Evaluation Scale (MPES) are valid and reliable tools used in clinical practice and research. Our aim was to evaluate the efficacy of pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments applied for pain relief. 27 patients were included in the study, of which 12 were outpatients and 15 were inpatients. Statistical and clinical significant differences were obtained only for the inpatient group on the MPES (p=0.00, difference between means=3.07) and for 3 out of 4 domains of the SF-MPQ-2 (p=0.01, 0.01 and 0.00 and the difference between means=2.60, 2.00 and 2.20 for continuous pain, neuropathic pain and affective descriptors, respectively). Outcomes of pain management are better for inpatients due to a combination of analgesic drugs with physical medicine and rehabilitation procedures and a strict monitoring during their hospitalization.