Racial differences in pain reports between Black and White participants with chronic venous disorders treated with cryotherapy compared to usual care.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate racial differences in pain and pain medication use in response to cryotherapy or usual care (UC) for leg skin inflamed by chronic venous disorders (CVDs). DESIGN Randomized clinical trial. SETTING Academic medical center in Charleston, South Carolina. PARTICIPANTS Sixty Black and White participants with severe CVDs randomized to receive cryotherapy or UC during the one-month study. INTERVENTION Cryotherapy consisted of 30-minutes of cooling the most severely affected lower leg skin with a gel wrap while receiving UC (ie, elevating the legs and wearing compression stockings during the day). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE Pain measured with the Leg Pain Questionnaire-Composite Score. RESULTS 56 participants (n=27 cryotherapy; n=29 UC) completed the study: 52% African Americans (Blacks). Blacks in the usual care group (n=15) reported lower pain after 30 days compared to Blacks in the cryotherapy group (n=15) (P=.02). In Whites, there were no differences between cryotherapy (n=13) and usual care (n=14) (P=.78). CONCLUSIONS No statistically significant differences in pain were found between the cryotherapy group or UC group. Usual care in the Black group was found to reduce pain.