Rate pain from 0 to 10, see what the number means, and check the signs that need a doctor.
Updated Sep 2026Fill in the fields and press Calculate. Every range comes from the sources listed under the tool.
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Sources
- Back Pain: Symptoms, Types and Causes | NIAMS NIH National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
- Cut-Off Points for Mild, Moderate, and Severe Pain on the Numeric Rating Scale for Pain in Patients with Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain (Boonstra et al., 2016) PubMed Central (PMC)
- Pain | NINDS NIH National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
- Pain: MedlinePlus MedlinePlus
How the Pain Scale Works
The pain scale doctors use most is the numeric rating scale: 0 is no pain and 10 is the worst pain you can imagine. It is a single number that you give, and it measures nothing except how the pain feels to you, which is exactly what makes it useful: no test can measure that, and the number is the same instrument in a clinic, a physiotherapy room and a diary. This tool takes the number, where the pain is and how long it has been going on, and reads back what the band usually means, whether the pain counts as acute, subacute or chronic, and whether anything you ticked is a reason to see a doctor now.
A single rating says less than a series. The same pain rated at the same time each day, written down, shows whether it is easing, holding or growing, and that run of numbers is what a doctor can act on. In a study of chronic low back pain, a change of one point was the smallest that mattered to patients and a change of two was the score that marked real improvement. The daily log under the result keeps the series on your device.
- Mild
- Moderate
- Severe
What the Bands Mean
| Rating | Band | In daily life |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | None | No pain |
| 1 to 3 | Mild | You notice it; it does not stop you doing things |
| 4 to 6 | Moderate | It gets in the way of some activities and of concentration |
| 7 to 10 | Severe | It stops you doing things and disturbs sleep |
Those are the bands most clinics use. They are not fixed points in nature: when researchers asked people with long-standing muscle and joint pain to rate it and also how much it interfered with their day, the cut points came out higher, with up to 5 reading as mild, 6 to 7 as moderate and 8 or more as severe. A 5 that started yesterday and a 5 that has lasted a year are not the same thing, and the second sits lower in its own scale. The tool notes this under the table.
Acute, Subacute and Chronic
The NIH sorts back pain by how long it has lasted. Acute back pain comes on suddenly and lasts a few days to a few weeks, and most of it eases in that time. Subacute pain lasts four to twelve weeks. Chronic pain lasts more than twelve weeks and occurs daily, and it is a different problem from a pain that has lasted a fortnight: it needs a plan with a doctor rather than more waiting. The page on lower back pain exercises sets out the evidence for movement over rest, and the guides in the Back Pain section cover the everyday causes, the stretches and exercises that help, and the ones to skip.
The Signs That Need a Doctor
The tool’s checklist is the NIH’s own list of reasons to see a doctor rather than wait: numbness or tingling; weakness, pain or numbness in the legs; trouble urinating; fever; weight loss you did not intend; back pain after a fall or injury; and severe pain that does not ease with medication. Loss of bladder or bowel control with back pain is an emergency. Pain that has not improved after a few weeks is the other reason on the list, whatever the number.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a 7 on the pain scale?
Severe, on the bands most clinics use: pain that stops you doing things and disturbs sleep. On the cut points found for long-standing muscle and joint pain, 7 is the top of moderate and 8 begins severe. Either way it is a number worth writing down and, if it holds, taking to a doctor.
Is the pain scale accurate?
It measures the one thing nothing else can, how the pain feels to you, and it is reliable in the sense that the same person tends to use it the same way over time. It is not comparable between people: your 6 and someone else’s 6 are different pains. That is why the series matters more than any single number.
When is back pain chronic?
After twelve weeks, by the NIH’s definition, when it occurs daily. Acute back pain lasts a few days to a few weeks and mostly eases on its own; subacute lasts four to twelve weeks and is worth a doctor’s visit if it is not improving.
When should I see a doctor about pain?
When it comes with numbness or tingling, weakness in the legs, trouble urinating, fever, unintended weight loss, or a fall or injury; when it is severe and medication does not ease it; and when it has not improved after a few weeks. Loss of bladder or bowel control with back pain needs emergency care.
How often should I rate my pain?
Once a day, at the same time, for as long as the pain lasts. A run of daily ratings shows the direction, which one number cannot, and it is what a doctor or physiotherapist can work with.
Sources
- Back Pain: Symptoms, Types and Causes · NIH National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
- Cut-Off Points for Mild, Moderate, and Severe Pain on the Numeric Rating Scale for Pain in Patients with Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain · Boonstra et al., Frontiers in Psychology (PMC)
- Clinically significant changes in pain along the Pain Intensity Numerical Rating Scale in patients with chronic low back pain · PLoS One, 2020 (PMC)
- Pain · NIH National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
- Pain · MedlinePlus (NIH)
This tool is for general information only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.