About this study
Sickle cell disease is a painful group of blood disorders that prevent normal blood flow in the body. Patients with sickle cell disease take pain medicines to treat acute and chronic pain that occurs with their disease. Some patients get complete relief from routine pain medicines. Other patients need to take medicine longer or have more doses of medicine before the pain goes away completely.
Long-term use of pain medicines is associated with a risk for addiction or tolerance in which drugs no longer reduce pain. To reduce these risks, doctors have tried other methods to treat sickle cell disease pain. Virtual reality therapy is an option that provides a computer-generated, relaxing environment for patients. It works by distracting the patient’s attention from the pain. In this study, doctors want to see if VR therapy reduces pain in sickle cell patients experiencing an acute pain crisis.
Purpose of this clinical trial
The main goal of this clinical trial is to find out how well virtual reality therapy lessens acute pain in sickle cell patients. Researchers also want to see if patients use less pain medicine when they are treated with virtual reality therapy.
Eligibility overview
- Between 6 and 25 years old
- Diagnosed with sickle cell disease
- Seeking care for acute vaso-occlusive crisis pain at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital or Methodist Healthcare
- Speaks English