Effect of fully immersive virtual reality on daily pain, functional mobility, and health-related quality of life in pediatric sickle cell disease: a single-blinded randomized clinical trial

Purpose: Sickle cell disease (SCD) causes abnormal hemoglobin, chronic pain, anemia, and organ damage. Virtual reality (VR) is a non-pharmacological tool for pain management; its effectiveness in SCD remains underexplored. This study evaluates the effect of an adjunctive fully immersive VR on daily pain and its impact on functional mobility and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in children with SCD. Materials and methods: In this single-blinded, randomized controlled trial, forty children (8–18 years) were randomized to VR + usual care (n = 20) or usual care alone (n = 20). The VR group received six 40-minute sessions over three weeks. Outcomes included pain (Numeric Rating Scale), mobility (Timed Up and Go test), and HRQOL (Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory). ClinicalTrials.gov (Identifier: NCT05952817). Results: The intervention group showed significant pain reduction, improved mobility, and enhanced HRQOL compared to controls over five weeks (pain: η² = 0.28, p < 0.001; mobility: η² = 0.18, p < 0.001; HRQOL: η² = 0.08–0.68, p < 0.001). VR was safe and well-tolerated. Conclusion: Adjunctive VR with usual care significantly reduces pain, improves mobility, and enhances HRQOL in children with SCD, supporting its feasibility and safety.