Virtual reality has made waves in the gaming community in recent years, but it has another potential use in the chronic pain community. These virtual reality headsets can provide patients with detailed information about how their pain condition is affecting their body, which in turn helps patients understand why certain movements or actions lead to pain, and they can also teach relaxation and breathing techniques. As a pain specialist, I can’t tell you how important mental health and mindfulness is during a flareup.
But virtual reality can be beneficial for more reasons. In fact, we’ve highlighted four benefits the therapy technique can provide for patients dealing with a range of pain conditions.
Benefits of VR for Chronic Pain
Here’s a look at four ways virtual reality therapy may be helpful for your pain condition.
1. Better Pain Management – Research into virtual reality has shown that it can help to alleviate or distract the pain from a wide variety of pain conditions, including burns, wounds, surgeries and some chronic pain conditions. In fact, virtual reality headsets are becoming more popular in emergency departments to help distract patients from pain who are dealing with acute injuries. By helping to take our mind off of our pain condition, virtual reality can help to improve pain management.
2. Opioid Reduction – Virtual reality may not be able to put a stop to your pain condition for good, but it can help train your brain to relax, which is key during a flareup. By being able to better control your breathing and keeping yourself relaxed, we can take control over our pain. This in turn can lead to a reduction in pain medications, as instead of reaching for your prescription bottle during a flareup, you may be able to reach for your VR headset or implement the strategies you’ve learned from the device.
3. Decreased Patient Costs – Other studies have shown that the use of VR headsets in medical settings can help to reduce costs on the patient. Instead of being billed by a doctor or a therapist for their time spent educating the patient about their condition, these headsets can provide an immersive look into your condition without tacking on extra expenses. And as we noted above, if it reduces your need for medications, it will also save you money on your prescription.
4. Increased Activity – Finally, virtual reality can be a game changer for patients with chronic pain because it can help lead to exercise, movement and active treatment techniques. These devices can also teach patients breathing and meditation techniques, which can help them manage symptoms and in turn leads to more activity participation. As physical activity increases, so too do healing rates, as movement helps to lubricate joints and promote healthy blood flow throughout the body.
