Pain, function and imaging: why they are not interchangeable
A missing measurement should not be replaced by the most attractive one.
Three columns for reading a recovery result.
A missing measurement should not be replaced by the most attractive one.
A reading sheet
Copy each result into its column: image or structure, reported symptom and measured function. Add the instrument, time point and comparison. FDA distinguishes, among other assessments, direct patient reports from measurements using a performance task. This distinction helps preserve what each observation means.
Try a hypothetical situation
Imagine a report showing a changed image without measuring pain or activity. The sheet lets you write “an imaging change was observed; symptoms and function were not assessed.” If a pain scale appears later, add it without erasing the other columns. The exercise organizes reading; it does not diagnose an injury or score a treatment.
Professional context / Contexto profesional
Instrument validity and meaningful change require assessment in context.
Evidence / Evidencia
Original editorial tool supported by outcome terminology.
Limitations / Limitaciones
Not a validated scale or a treatment decision rule.