
09/04/2025
This is where the McGill Pain Questionnaire (MPQ) comes in. Unlike simple numeric scales, the MPQ gives patients a vocabulary to describe not just the intensity of their pain, but its quality, emotional impact, and day-to-day interference. Over the last five decades, it has become one of the most widely used and validated tools in pain research and clinical practice.
At the same time, pain treatment has evolved. Traditional painkillers and opioids often fail patients with conditions like fibromyalgia, complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS), neuropathic pain, and refractory migraines. Enter ketamine infusion therapy, an innovative option that targets the nervous system in unique ways. Today, many clinics combine tools like the MPQ with treatments such as ketamine infusion to both measure and manage pain more effectively.
This blog will take you on a detailed journey: from the history and structure of the McGill Pain Questionnaire to its clinical applications, limitations, and how it pairs with modern treatments like ketamine infusion therapy.
Pain is one of the most universal yet complex human experiences. Everyone has felt pain at some point — from a stubbed toe to post-surgical recovery — but chronic pain is in a category of its own. For the millions of people who live with long-term pain, traditional “rate your pain from 0 to 10...