Fig. 2. Ratings of ongoing pain and pain evoked by mechanical stimuli. Allodynia induced by dynamic (brush), static (brass probe), or punctate (von Frey hair) mechanical stimuli was present at the site affected with postherpetic neuralgia in most subjects (78%). Mechanical sensory tests were performed within the region of dynamic allodynia (identified by stroking a cotton swab) and at the mirror-image contralateral site. In subjects with no mechanical allodynia, the sensory testing was conducted in the region of maximal pain. Ongoing pain and stimulus-evoked pain were rated on a numerical rating scale of 0–10 (on which 0 = no pain and 10 = the most intense pain imaginable). The upper and lower bars indicate the 95th and 5th percentiles, respectively, and the box indicates the 75th and 25th percentiles.