Scientific evidence for the effectiveness of virtual reality for pain reduction in adults with acute or chronic pain

2009 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simmonds M.
Keyword(s):  
Chronic Pain ◽  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
Pain Reduction

Virtual Reality as Analgesia

2014 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 75-86 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark Nazemi ◽  
Diane Gromala ◽  
Mehdi Karamnejad
Keyword(s):  
Chronic Pain ◽  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Pain Management ◽  
Interface Design ◽  
Pain Reduction ◽  
Self Management ◽  
Sound Design ◽  
Interactive Approach ◽  
Pharmacological Method

This paper introduces a multidisciplinary and interactive approach to self-management of chronic pain using Virtual Reality (VR). This approach is meant to reduce the reliance on heavy use of medication and provide a non-pharmacological method for pain management. In addition, the paper discusses additional technologies that deal with issues surrounding immersion, presence, and interface design that directly impact the quality of treatment patients can obtain through VR therapy. A set of guidelines are also included that signify the importance of using biofeedback and interactive sound design to help improve rehabilitation and meditation practices for pain reduction.

scholarly journals The Safety and Effect of Local Botulinumtoxin A Injections for Long-Term Management of Chronic Pain in Post-Herpetic Neuralgia: Literature Review and Cases Report Treated with Incobotulinumtoxin A

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 758
Author(s):  
Songjin Ri ◽  
Anatol Kivi ◽  
Jörg Wissel
Keyword(s):  
Chronic Pain ◽  
Neuropathic Pain ◽  
Adverse Events ◽  
Case Reports ◽  
Pain Reduction ◽  
Post Herpetic Neuralgia ◽  
Botulinumtoxin A ◽  
Incobotulinumtoxin A ◽  
Term Management

There are few reports on the safety and effectiveness of long-term botulinumtoxin A (BoNT A) therapy in severe chronic pain of post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN). The literature was searched with the term “neuropathic pain” and “botulinum” on PubMed (up to 29 February 2020). Pain was assessed with the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) before and after BoNT A therapy. A total of 10 clinical trials and six case reports including 251 patients with PHN were presented. They showed that BoNT A therapy had significant pain reduction (up to 30–50%) and improvement in quality of life. The effect duration seems to be correlated with BoNT A doses injected per injection site. Intervals between BoNT A injections were 10–14 weeks. No adverse events were reported in cases and clinical studies, even in the two pregnant women, whose babies were healthy. The repeated (≥6 times) intra/subcutaneous injections of incobotulinumtoxin A (Xeomin®, Merz Pharmaceuticals, Germany) over the two years of our three cases showed marked pain reduction and no adverse events. Adjunctive local BoNT A injection is a promising option for severe PHN, as a safe and effective therapy in long-term management for chronic neuropathic pain. Its effect size and -duration seem to be depended on the dose of BoNT A injected per each point.

scholarly journals Virtual Reality Technologies and Chronic Pain

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 211-216
Author(s):  
Özgül ÖZTÜRK ◽  
Özlem FEYZİOĞLU
Keyword(s):  
Chronic Pain ◽  
Virtual Reality

Physical and occupational therapy outcomes: Adolescents’ change in functional abilities using objective measures and self-report

2017 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 60-66 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heidi Kempert ◽  
Ethan Benore ◽  
Rachel Heines
Keyword(s):  
Chronic Pain ◽  
Occupational Therapy ◽  
Multidisciplinary Treatment ◽  
Pain Reduction ◽  
Physical Activities ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Objective Measures ◽  
Functional Changes ◽  
Pediatric Chronic Pain ◽  
Functional Gains

AbstractPurposeThis study evaluates the clinical usefulness of patient-rated and objective measures to identify physically-oriented functional changes after an intensive chronic pain program in a pediatric setting. Past studies have demonstrated the importance of adolescents’ perception of their abilities and measurement tools used for rehabilitation outcomes within physical and occupational therapy; however, these tools used are not often easily utilized or have not been examined with a pediatric chronic pain population. In chronic pain rehabilitation, it is important to have a primary focus on functional improvement not on pain reduction as a leading outcome. This study examines how both self-report and objective physical activity measures can be meaningful constructs and can be used as reliable outcome measures. It was hypothesized that adolescents completing an interdisciplinary pain rehabilitation program would report functional gains from admission to discharge, and that perceived gains in physical ability would be associated with objective physical activities. Further, it was hypothesized that gains in functioning would be associated with mild pain reduction.MethodsData from 78 children and adolescents with chronic pain that participated in an intensive multidisciplinary treatment program completed self-report measures including the Lower Extremity Functional Scale (LEFS), Upper Extremity Functional Index (UEFI). In addition, adolescents were objectively monitored for repetitions of selected physical activities for 1 min intervals.ResultsData demonstrated significant gains in all measures of functioning during the program. Correlations between self-report and objective outcomes suggest they are measuring similar yet distinct factors.ConclusionsThe LEFS, UEFI, and objective exercises provide a meaningful way to track progress in pediatric chronic pain rehabilitation. Despite similarities, they appear to track separate but related aspects of rehabilitation and capture important short-term response to rehabilitation. Both measures appear distinct from pain as an outcome. These findings increase our understanding of rehabilitation practices provide opportunities to promote clinical improvement in pediatric pain.ImplicationsThe use of self-report measures along with objective measures can help therapists gain understanding in regards to a patient’s insight and how that may impact their overall outcome compared to the use of a single outcome measure. Viewing these rated measures at any point in the rehabilitation process can be useful to facilitate discussion about challenges they can identify and how therapies can facilitate improvement and functional gains.

Effect of interactive vs. passive virtual reality on pain threshold and tolerance

2021 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Juliann Saquib ◽  
Haneen A. AlMohaimeed ◽  
Sally A. AlOlayan ◽  
Nora A. AlRebdi ◽  
Jana I. AlBulaihi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Pain Threshold ◽  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
Random Order ◽  
Pain Tolerance ◽  
Dominant Hand ◽  
Interactive Games ◽  
Within Subjects ◽  
Order Sequence

Abstract Objectives Scientific evidence suggests that virtual reality (VR) could potentially help patients tolerate painful medical procedures and conditions. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of virtual reality on pain tolerance and threshold. Methods A within-subjects experimental study design was conducted on 53 female students at Qassim University in Saudi Arabia. Each participant completed three rounds of assessment: one baseline (no VR) and two VR immersion (passive and interactive) in random order sequence. During each round, participants submerged their non-dominant hand into an ice bath; pain threshold and tolerance were measured as outcomes and analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA. Results Participants had both higher pain threshold and tolerance during interactive and passive VR rounds in comparison to the non-VR baseline assessment (p<0.05). Participants had greater pain tolerance during the interactive VR condition compared to the passive VR condition (p<0.001). Conclusions VR experiences increase pain threshold and tolerance with minimal side effects, and the larger effects were demonstrated using interactive games. Interactive VR gaming should be considered and tested as a treatment for pain.

Immersive Virtual Reality as a Non-Pharmacological Analgesic for Pain Management

2018 ◽  
pp. 1176-1199
Author(s):  
Diane Gromala ◽  
Xin Tong ◽  
Chris Shaw ◽  
Weina Jin
Keyword(s):  
Chronic Pain ◽  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Virtual Environments ◽  
Acute Pain ◽  
Term Treatment ◽  
Immersive Virtual Reality ◽  
Effective Form ◽  
Long Term Treatment ◽  
Difficult Challenge

In the 1990s, when immersive Virtual Reality (VR) was first popular, researchers found it to be an effective intervention in reducing acute pain. Since that time, VR technologies have been used for treating acute pain. Although the exact mechanism is unclear, VR is thought to be an especially effective form of pain distraction. While pain-related virtual environments have built upon pain distraction, a handful of researchers have focused on a more difficult challenge: VR for long-term chronic pain. Because the nature of chronic pain is complex, pharmacological analgesics are often insufficient or unsustainable as an ideal long-term treatment. In this chapter, the authors explore how VR can be used as a non-pharmacological adjuvant for chronic pain. Two paradigms for virtual environments built for addressing chronic pain have emerged – Pain Distraction and what we term Pain Self-modulation. We discuss VR's validation for mitigating pain in patients who have acute pain, for those with chronic pain, and for addressing “breakthrough” periods of higher pain in patients with chronic pain.

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