Using Nature-Inspired Virtual Reality as a Distraction to Reduce Stress and Pain Among Cancer Patients

Abstract

While many cancer centers suggest treating pain with medication and nondrug treatment, few include the use of virtual reality (VR) as an alternative for stress and pain relief therapy. The purpose of this research was to determine whether a nature-inspired VR simulation reduced stress and pain levels among patients in a cancer treatment center. Using a repeated measures design, 50 patients attending their regularly scheduled chemotherapy infusion were measured for pain and stress during their intravenous (IV)/port access. At the patient’s second visit, they viewed a nature-inspired VR simulation while receiving their IV/port access and were measured for pain and stress again. The paired, one-tailed t tests found significant increases in relaxation, feelings of peace, and positive distractions. While patients felt significantly less frustrated, measures for stress and pain were not significant. Future research should include additional stress and pain measures to determine the viability of VR for chemotherapy infusions.

Virtual Reality for Pain Management in Cancer: A Comprehensive Review

“…A few studies assessed the VR impact on cancer related to ovaries [40], melanoma [38], abdominal [39], throat [39], and metastatic [24] types of cancer (2% each). Finally, two of the reviewed studies, did not report the specific type of cancer type (5%) [34], [42]. Further to the type of cancer, almost half of the studies examined the effectiveness of VR in accordance to pain (65%).…”

“…Further to the type of cancer, almost half of the studies examined the effectiveness of VR in accordance to pain (65%). Most focused on Acute-Procedural Pain (38%) [21], [24], [25], [26], [27], [29], [36], [37], [41], [42]. The pain was induced via venipuncture, surgery and biopsies, while the remaining 15% cases of pain, as a result of chronic conditions [24], [31], [39], [40].…”

“…Finally, 12% of papers did not report the type of pain [20], [23], [32]. Some of the reviewed studies were not related directly to pain (35%), meaning that they, examined closely side effects such as fatigue, anxiety, depression, emotional distress, neurocognitive problems, prospective memory issues, and other issues that cancer patients are usually dealing with because of the procedural pain caused by the medical processes, [22], [28], [30], [33], [34], [35], [38], [40], [42].…”

“…Regarding the effectiveness of VR on pain management and cancer, most of the studies outcomes were positive (83%) [20], [21], [22], [23], [24], [25], [26], [27], [32] , [30], [31], [33], [36], [37], [38], [39], [40], [41], [42] and less than quarter neutral (17%) [28], [29], [34], [35], while negative results were not reported. To illustrate this, it was found that the use of VR can reduce pain [21], [24], [25], [26], [27], [29], [37], [39], [40] improve emotional wellbeing [21], [23], [24], [29], [32], [33], [34], [35], [38], [39], [40], [42] enhance the rehabilitation training [20], [26], [27], [3...…”

“…People who are suffering from cancer undergo through painful medical processes including medical examinations, surgeries, biopsies, chemotherapies, and others. VR has been used to treat the procedural pain cancer patients are dealing with, reporting positive results [20], [21], [22], [23], [24], [25], [26], [27], [28], [29], [30], [31], [32], [33], [34], [35], [36], [37], [38], [39], [40], [41], [42]. This study presents a review of research, for the last 10 years (2010- 19) and examines the use of VR technology for cancer patients who undergo painful medical processes.…”