Study: Arthritic African-Americans Missing Out on Pain Control

From arthritis to backaches, African Americans may be disproportionately missing out on effective treatment for their chronic pain, according to a study presented March 20 at the American Pain Society annual meeting in Chicago.

Such a disparity, according to University of Michigan (UM) researchers, may be hindering the ability of some African Americans to work, play and enjoy life.

The study found that African Americans face more barriers to getting effective pain care and that African-American women were much more likely than white women to have severe pain and related mental health effects when they finally sought treatment.

"Overall, African Americans with chronic pain have significantly more symptoms than whites when they first seek pain treatment, as well as more pain, depression and impairment in their physical, emotional and social health," said lead researcher Dr. Carmen Green, a pain specialist at the UM's Multidisciplinary Pain Center. "This has tremendous implications for their quality of life and overall health."

Green and her colleagues studied African-American and Caucasian men and women who were seen at the pain center for chronic pain in recent years. Using standardized survey questionnaires, 3,132 white and 345 black women were asked about their pain, emotional health and disability level.

In a separate study, the team tallied the answers of 136 white and 101 black patients with chronic pain from a 50-item questionnaire about their pain treatment patterns, perceptions and payment.

The results parallel disparities that other researchers have found between blacks and other races in other diseases and their treatment, such as cancer and heart disease.

Green and her colleagues began their research after noticing differences between patients of different races who came to the pain center for treatment. Black patients coming to the center for the first time tended to have much more severe symptoms than new white patients.

Pain treatment for both acute and chronic pain has improved tremendously in recent years with better medications and better understanding of how pain affects a patient's life.

As a result, Green said no patient should have to suffer without treatment for pain that interferes with their ability to work, play, exercise, or care for themselves or others.

Other sources: University of Michigan Health System