reliability, validity, and sensitivity to change must be investigated.
To advance the field and better understand the pain-relieving effect and the underlying mechanisms of topical anesthesia, a well-designed structured protocol is necessary, ideally comprising both self-report measures and quantitative somatosensory tests. The aims of this study were, therefore, to determine the reliability, validity, and sensitivity to change of punctuate pain thresholds and of self-reported pain on needle penetration, and to measure the effect of topically administered lidocaine