A patient participates in a trial for using virtual reality therapy to treat chronic pain. AppliedVR
Virtual Reality (VR), once only used by gamers and tech enthusiasts, is quickly making its way into the health industry. From helping to treat pain and phobias to transforming medical training, VR is becoming a powerful tool that offers users immersive experiences like nothing else. As technology gets more efficient and powerful, virtual reality will undoubtedly change how medical professionals and patients view the world of medicine.
Let us begin with a simple question: What is VR? VR is a simulated three-dimensional environment that lets users interact with their surroundings through a VR headset placed on the user’s head. While sitting comfortably, users can experience the thrill of riding a rollercoaster or the fear of looking down while atop a huge mountain. Officially invented in 1968 by Ivan Sutherland to display images on a head-mounted screen, the technology for virtual reality has rapidly changed over the past fifty years. Despite these technological advancements, it has not been widely used for important purposes until recently.
In November 2021, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized the home use of virtual reality headsets to help relieve lower back pain. It works by guiding users through mindfulness exercises and cognitive behavioral therapy to replace negative thoughts with positive ones. Users can listen to the relaxing sounds of birds chirping, or the calming sound of a waterfall while sitting in a beautiful place in nature. Virtual reality therapy focuses on calming the user and relieving stress, which can impact the pain that people feel throughout their bodies.
A trial conducted by Brennan Spiegel, a Los Angeles-based physician, proved how useful VR can be in medical settings. The study consisted of a random group of people with a variety of ailments. Half of the participants partook in the VR pain management program, while the other half watched wellness TV, did yoga, and participated in meditation. The study showed that the patients using VR recorded a twenty-four percent decrease in pain while the other groups only reported a thirteen percent decrease. “Virtual reality is a mind-body treatment that is based in real science,” Spiegel said. “It does more than just distract the mind from pain, but also helps to block pain signals from reaching the brain, offering a drug-free supplement to traditional pain management.”
Not only has virtual reality been used to treat chronic pain, but it also has been used to treat phobias by using a complex process of exposure. Phobias are extreme or irrational fears that have a profound effect on people’s functioning. Because the headset gives users a three-dimensional, immersive experience, scientists have used it to expose patients to their phobias, hoping to help treat them. The treatment works by having users gradually revisit stressful situations from a safe place. Therapy for phobias works by exposing the patient to their fears in small, manageable steps. Currently, there is a lack of availability for therapists who are specially trained to treat patients with phobias. Virtual reality is much more cost-effective and accessible, and can even be done at home.
VR has the potential to revolutionize the healthcare industry. It will continue to change how patients are treated for different ailments. Maybe the next time you go to the doctor, they will give you a headset to put on!
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