06 Jun Functional medicine and their Medical symptom score (msq score)
Hey dear healthy nuts! How is everyone doing in this crazy pandemic. I feel more calm and peaceful than ever in this entire pandemic time. And that is because knowledge is key, and that is for everything in life almost. I always like to track things down, because also tracking is key. I noticed that since the spread of the corona virus the anxiety has risen to a complete new level. However, I’ll learn you that this is not necessary.
What is the MSQ score?
So you probably never came across the MSQ score, but if you did congratulations!
The medical symptom questionnaire is a score that you give to your complaints based on the past 14 days. I know from experience that it is sometimes difficult to determine what fitted inside the 14 days, and what did not. Some people therefore use it in a different way. I would either recommend to do it for the past 14 days, or to use it as a tracker for the upcoming 14 days, where you can track it on a separate paper every day until you hit the 2 weeks. We work with a scaling system from 0 to 4.
Why is the MSQ a great tracker
Well firstly because it is free of charge, and everyone loves that period. Secondly this is a great tool to measure your progress. If you are going on a new diet but you are not sure if it works, do the MSQ before and take it after 3-4 weeks on your new diet and see how you do. If you are dealing with an autoimmune condition, this is even more important to do on the long run. Overcoming most disease is though, and functional medicine practitioners will swift everything in your life. Don’t look up when you notice it goes worse first before it get better, this is completely normal. I truly think this a great tool to progress your health moving forward slowly while you are taking the right steps to continue your health journey in the right direction.
Scaling system:
0 – Never or almost never have the symptom
1 – Occasionally have it, effect is not severe
2 – Occasionally have it, effect is severe
3 – Frequently have it, effect is not severe
4 – Frequently have it, effect is severe
Of course we as practitioners have nice and fancy forms. However, if you like to do some tracking at home for yourself to see if your extra sleep, reducing stress or your new food habits are paying off, you don’t need all of that obviously. Therefore I’ll share the questions with you:
Patient Name_____________________________________________________________ Date___________________
Rate each of the following symptoms based upon your typical health profile on a scale from 0 to 4.
__________ Headaches
__________ Faintness
__________ Dizziness
__________ Insomnia
Total
__________ Watery or itchy eyes
__________ Swollen, reddened or sticky eyelids
__________ Bags or dark circles under eyes
__________ Blurred or tunnel vision
Total
(Does not include near or far-sightedness)
__________ Itchy ears
__________ Earaches, ear infections
__________ Drainage from ear
__________ Ringing in ears, hearing loss
Total
__________ Stuffy nose
__________ Sinus problems
__________ Hay fever
__________ Sneezing attacks
__________ Excessive mucus formation
Total
__________ Chronic coughing
__________ Gagging, frequent need to clear throat
__________ Sore throat, hoarseness, loss of voice
__________ Swollen or discolored tongue, gums, lips
__________ Canker sores
Total
__________ Acne
__________ Hives, rashes, dry skin
__________ Hair loss
__________ Flushing, hot flashes
__________ Excessive sweating
Total
__________ Irregular or skipped heartbeat
__________ Rapid or pounding heartbeat
__________ Chest pain
Total
__________ Chest congestion
__________ Asthma, bronchitis
__________ Shortness of breath
__________ Difficulty breathing
Total
__________ Nausea, vomiting
__________ Diarrhea
__________ Constipation
__________ Bloated feeling
__________ Belching, passing gas
__________ Heartburn
__________ Intestinal/stomach pain
Total
__________ Pain or aches in joints
__________ Arthritis
__________ Stiffness or limitation of movement
__________ Pain or aches in muscles
__________ Feeling of weakness or tiredness
Total
__________ Binge eating/drinking
__________ Craving certain foods
__________ Excessive weight
__________ Compulsive eating
__________ Water retention
__________ Underweight
Total
__________ Fatigue, sluggishness
__________ Apathy, lethargy
__________ Hyperactivity
__________ Restlessness
Total
__________ Poor memory
__________ Confusion, poor comprehension
__________ Poor concentration
__________ Poor physical coordination
__________ Difficulty in making decisions
__________ Stuttering or stammering
__________ Slurred speech
__________ Learning disabilities
Total
__________ Mood swings
__________ Anxiety, fear, nervousness
__________ Anger, irritability, aggressiveness
__________ Depression
Total
__________ Frequent illness
__________ Frequent or urgent urination
__________ Genital itch or discharge
Total
Grand Total
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