LANSS Pain Scale

Leeds Assessment of Neurophatic Symptoms and Signs

This pain scale can help to determine whether the nerves that are carrying your pain signals are working normally or not. It is important to find this out in case different treatments are needed to control your pain.

Does your pain feel like strange, unpleasant sensation in your skin? (e.g. pricking, tingling, pins and needles) *

Yes - I get these sensations quite a lot.

No - My pain doesn't really feel like this.

Does your pain make the skin in the painful area look different from normal? (e.g. mottled, more red/pink than usual) *

Yes - I've noticed that the pain does make my skin look different from normal.

No - My pain doesn't affect the colour of my skin.

Does your pain make the affected area abnormally sensitive to touch? (e.g. lightly stroked, tight clothes) *

Yes - My skin seems abnormally sensitive to touch in that area.

No - My pain doesn't make my skin abnormally sensitive in that area.

Does your pain come on suddenly and in bursts for no apparent reason when you're still. (e.g. electric shocks, 'jumping') *

Yes - I get these sensations quite a lot.

No - My pain doesn't really feel like this.

Does your pain feel as if the skin temperature in the painful area has changed abnormally? (e.g. hot, burning) *

Yes - I get these sensations quite a lot.

No - I don't really get these sensations.

Examine the response to lightly stroking cotton wool across the non-painful area and then the painful area. Does stroking the affected area of skin with cotton produce pain? *

Yes - There is pain or unpleasant sensations in the affected area.

No - Normal sensation in both areas.

Does a pinprick (23 GA) at the affected area feel sharper or duller when compared to an area of normal skin? *

Yes - A different sensation is experienced in the painful area.

No - Equal sensation in both areas.