Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia (TSK)
What It Measures
The Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia measures a specific and treatable problem: not how much pain someone is in, but how afraid they are that moving will make it worse. That fear predicts disability better than pain intensity does, and it is often what keeps a recovery stalled.
Seventeen statements are rated from strongly disagree to strongly agree. They fall into two groups. Activity avoidance covers the belief that moving will cause re-injury or worse pain. Somatic focus covers the belief that there is something seriously wrong underneath. Four items are worded positively and reverse-scored. Totals run 17 to 68, and 37 or above is the conventional threshold for a high level of fear.
Further Reading
Additional Notes
Licensing Notes: It is reproduced widely in clinical resources and trial protocols without a posted fee.
Learn More: Two documented limitations. The TSK does not discriminate well among people with lower levels of fear, and people can continue scoring high even after successfully returning to activity. And because items describe movement in words rather than showing it, the scale may underestimate task-specific fear — a person can score low overall and still be genuinely afraid of one particular movement.
