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Updated: Dec 28, 2025

Determining heat and mechanical pain threshold in inflamed skin of human subjects
Published on: January 14, 2009
Impact of Cooling on Lowering the Pain Threshold in Patients Undergoing Sclerotherapy
Felipe Coelho Neto1, Bianca R Souza2, Sergio Q Belczak3
1Division of Vascular Surgery, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Paraná (PUCPR), Londrina, Paraná, Brazil.
Background:
Liquid sclerotherapy is the treatment of choice for telangiectasias. However, pain caused by the procedure is a barrier to treatment adherence by patients.
Objective:
To evaluate the use of skin cooling for the management of pain in patients undergoing liquid sclerotherapy.
Methods And Materials:
A total of 230 lower limbs from 115 patients with telangiectasias classified as C1 according to the Clinical-Etiological-Anatomical-Pathophysiological classification were included. Patients underwent liquid sclerotherapy with and without skin cooling during the procedure. Pain was assessed using a visual analog scale, applied immediately after the procedure, according to each lower limb area treated.
Results:
Visual analog scale pain scores were significantly lower for sclerotherapy with the use of cooling for pain management during the procedure than for sclerotherapy without cooling both in the thigh and leg (p < .0001).
Conclusion:
The use of a cooling system is effective in reducing pain in patients undergoing liquid sclerotherapy of telangiectasias, providing more comfort to patients.
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