Un outil de mesure et d'examen pour repérer la douleur neuropathique au quotidien : Antalkit®

Pilowski introduced the visual analog scale for measuring pain more than fifty years ago. Clinical experience has clearly demonstrates the usefulness of this method for controlling the subjectivity of pain quantification. Using a similar approach, we wanted to develop a clinically useful scale for quantifying other types of pain which are more difficult to identify and explain to patients: neuropathic pain. Thirty years ago, Melzack developed the adjective questionnaires which we have found to be a wonderful but complex diagnostic tool for medical diagnosis and patient education concerning neuropathic pain. We present here the difficulties encountered in the diagnosis of neuropathic pain as well as the difficult patient-physician relations when managing neuropathic pain. We conclude with a practical presentation of the proposed tool.