The management of sickle cell pain

Abstract

Treatment of pain in the setting of sickle cell disease remains unsatisfactory. The approach remains to treat the pain symptomatically with escalating doses of non-opioid and opioid medications while any underlying inciting process is investigated. For the majority of patients with sickle cell disease, pain will always be part of their lives. Advances in the treatment of sickle cell pain will depend on multiple approaches, including both pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic.