Mindfulness and yoga therapy for acute pain in sickle cell disease

There is a paucity of data regarding the use of non-pharmacologic therapies for pain in sickle cell disease. The purpose of this pilot study was to assess the acceptability and feasibility of video-guided mindfulness meditation, breathing exercises, and yoga, in addition to standard of care, during admission for painful vaso-occlusive crisis. Feasibility was demonstrated by the enrollment rate of > 90% and high level of participant engagement in the intervention. Acceptability was demonstrated by positive feedback obtained in post-intervention surveys and the majority of subjects who expressed interest in participating in future mindfulness and yoga therapy sessions.