The Prevalence and Management of Chronic Pain in End-stage Renal Disease

A growing body of literature has demonstrated that chronic pain is common for patients with end- stage renal disease (ESRD), is typically moderate or severe, and impacts virtually every aspect of health-related quality of life. Unfortunately, there is a lack of clinical and research focus in this area in nephrology and pain in ESRD is undertreated. This paper reviews the epidemiology of chronic pain in ESRD, discusses basic principles of pain assessment and management, and highlights some of the challenges in pain management in ESRD with the hope of guiding health professionals in the effective management of pain in patients with ESRD.