Chronic pain in adults with sickle cell disease: a lived experience study

Abstract

Individuals with sickle cell disease (SCD) are living longer with chronic pain. Patients report that clinicians do not clearly understand the pain from the individual's perspective, and at times lack effective management skills for this unique pain. It remains unclear what is considered chronic pain by providers and patients. Studies on chronic pain epidemiology have mostly reported quantitative data. This study used a qualitative methodology to describe, identify and define chronic pain from the participant's perspective, using a phenomenological approach of the lived experience.