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Purpose of Review: Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a hematological disorder which leads to serious complications in multiple organ systems. While significant research has addressed many of the effects of acute pain episodes and end-organ damage connected to this disease, little has approached the chronic pain state associated with this condition., Recent Findings: Associated chronic pain represents a significant detractor from the quality of life experienced by these patients, affecting over half of those with SCD on more days than not. Current treatment typically is centered upon preventing and responding to acute vasoocclusive crises, presumably because this is the most common reason for hospitalization in these patients. The lack of management of chronic pain symptoms leaves many with SCD in a state of suffering. In this review, the treatment methodologies of SCD patients are examined including alternative treatments, both pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical, as well as procedural approaches specifically aimed at reducing chronic pain in these patients.

Purpose of Review: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disorder of the central nervous system that can lead to severe physical, cognitive, and neurological deficits that often manifest in young adults. Central neuropathic pain is a common presenting symptom, often prompting patients to seek treatment with opioids, NSAIDS, antiepileptics, and antidepressants despite minimal effectiveness and alarming side-effect profiles. Additionally, spasticity occurs in more than 80% of MS patients and is an important consideration for further study in treatment., Recent Findings: Related to inconsistencies in pain presentation and clinical reporting, current studies continue to investigate clinical patient presentation to define chronic pain characteristics to optimize treatment plans. Although often neuropathic in origin, the complex nature of such pain necessitates a multimodal approach for adequate treatment. While psychiatric comorbidities typically remain unchanged in their severity over time, physical conditions may lead to worsening chronic pain long-term, often due to decreased quality of life. The prevalence of neuropathic pain is ~ 86% in patients with multiple sclerosis and most commonly presents as extremity pain, trigeminal neuralgia, back pain, or headaches. As MS symptoms are frequently unremitting and poorly responsive to conventional medical management, recent attention has been given to novel interventions for management of pain. Among these, medicinal cannabis therapy, targeted physical therapy, and neuromodulation offer promising results. In this review, we provide a comprehensive update of the current perspective of MS pathophysiology, symptomatology, and treatment.

Purpose of Review: The purpose of the following review is to summarize the most recent understanding of migraine pathophysiology, as well as of basic and clinical science pharmacologic literature regarding the development of calcitonin gene receptor peptide (CGRP) antagonists as a novel therapeutic modality for the treatment of migraine headaches. A review is provided of erenumab, the first of its class FDA approved CGRP antagonist., Recent Findings: Despite its high prevalence, the occurrence and treatment of migraine headaches is poorly understood. Erenumab and CGRP antagonists as a whole significantly reduce the average number of migraine days experienced in migraine sufferers. CGRP antagonists appear to significantly improve treatment outcomes in patients who suffer from episodic and chronic migraines. Erenumab is the first CGRP antagonist to be FDA approved for public use; however, further development of biologics in this class is underway.