Integrative approaches to treating pain in sickle cell disease: Pre-clinical and clinical evidence

• Published in: Complementary therapies in medicine Vol. 51; p. 102394
• Main Authors: Sagi, Varun, Argueta, Donovan A, Kiven, Stacy, Gupta, Kalpna
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Scotland Elsevier Ltd 01.06.2020; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: Acupuncture; Analgesics; Anemia, Sickle Cell - therapy; Animals; Bioavailability; Chronic pain; Chronic Pain - therapy; Clinical trials; Cytokines; Diet; Dietary supplements; Endothelium; Fatty acids; Genetic disorders; Hemoglobin; Humans; Inflammation; Kinases; Mice; Narcotics; Nervous system; Opioids; Oxidative stress; Pain; Pain Management - methods; Pediatrics; Proteins; Sickle cell disease; Side effects; Spinal cord; Tumor necrosis factor-TNF; Sickle cell disease; Pain
• ISSN: 0965-2299; 1873-6963
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ctim.2020.102394

•Pain is a major comorbidity of sickle cell disease with many patients suffering from both acute and chronic pain.•Mechanisms of pain in sickle cell disease are complex with contributions from the central and peripheral nervous systems.•Integrative approaches for treating pain in sickle cell disease are being explored in pre-clinical and clinical studies. Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a genetic disorder characterized by hemolysis, end-organ damage, inflammation, and pain. Recurrent and unpredictable episodes of acute pain due to vaso-occlusive crises are a unique feature of SCD. Many patients also develop lifelong chronic pain. Opioids are the primary method of pain treatment in SCD; however, continued use is associated with several adverse effects. Integrative approaches to treating pain in SCD are increasingly being explored to prevent the side effects associated with opioids. In this review, we highlight the mechanisms of pain in SCD and describe mechanism-based integrative approaches for treating pain.