The McGill pain questionnaire in Amharic: Zwai health center patients' reports on the experience of pain

This paper presents for the first time an Amharic translation of the McGill Pain Questionnaire developed by Melzack and used in many countries around the world. It allows for a quantitative and qualitative assessment of the intensity, location, and nature of experienced pain, as well as conditions that relieve pain. Data collected from one hundred patients attending the Zwai Health Center indicated that 81% reported pain at the time, one-quarter of whom were in severe pain. The most commonly chosen descriptors were: burning, stabbing, sore, gnawing, aching, and cramping. Descriptors were often associated with certain diagnoses: burning with gastrointestinal problems, stabbing with respiratory diseases, and gnawing or aching with myalgia/neuralgia. Approximately 40% of those in pain had previously sought relief from a clinic or pharmacy and were attending the center because the pain persisted. Analgesics were more likely to be prescribed for those in mild pain, while other medication without analgesics were prescribed for those in severe pain. The McGill Pain Questionnaire - Amharic (MPQ-Am) could be a useful tool for future studies of illness-specific pain, and of the effectiveness of pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical strategies for pain management.