FPS-R · Faces Pain Scale - Revised

1 Before you use it

What it is

Six faces, scored 0 to 10 in twos, for children who can't reliably use a numeric scale.

No smiling face and no tears — which is the deliberate difference from Wong-Baker, and it stops the scale measuring mood instead of pain.

When to reach for it

Any paediatric MSK presentation — Sever's, Osgood-Schlatter, Sinding-Larsen-Johansson, little leaguer's elbow and shoulder.

Use it directly with the child, not through the parent.

Patterns it serves · 4

Little Leaguer's Elbow (Medial Epicondyle Apophysitis)Osgood-Schlatter Disease (Tibial Tuberosity Apophysitis)Sever's Disease (Calcaneal Apophysitis)Sinding-Larsen-Johansson Syndrome (Inferior Pole Apophysitis)

2 Giving it

Scoring

The child points to a face; score 0, 2, 4, 6, 8 or 10. Anchor the ends verbally: no pain at all, and very much pain.

What it doesn’t measure

Function, distress, or the parent's concern — all of which matter and all of which are asked separately.

3 Reading the score

Interpreting it

Interpret against the child's own baseline.

Generally usable from around four years of age. Below that, observational measures are needed.

Is the change real?

No verified MCID or MDC is carried in our library for this measure, so the number on its own cannot tell you a change is real. Compare it to this patient's own baseline and say what changed functionally.

Student trap. Asking the parent to rate the child's pain. Ask the child — that's the whole point of a faces scale.

Official source: iasp-pain.org. We don't host the form.

This is a learning tool. It does not diagnose patients and does not replace your clinical educator.

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