Virtual Reality Assisted Non-Pharmacological Treatments in Chronic Pain Management: A Systematic Review and Quantitative Meta-Analysis

Abstract

Virtual reality (VR) is a developing technology that has recently attracted the attention of healthcare practitioners. Recently, VR systems have been used to treat pain symptoms. The present study aims to evaluate the VR effectiveness on chronic pain management. A systematic literature search was performed following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Keywords were used to discover the potentially eligible studies. The primary focus of the present investigation was to evaluate the possible effect of VR-assisted treatments on chronic pain, especially in the commonly occurring low back and neck pain. Nine studies reporting randomized controlled trials were included in the present study. VR-mediated interventions demonstrated significant improvement for pain symptoms in patients experiencing chronic pain. In addition, VR-mediated therapy decreased pain intensity and disability in the case of chronic neck pain compared to control conditions. However, the VR interventions showed a statistically non-significant improvement in chronic low back pain when experimental groups were compared with controls. VR therapy positive effect on chronic pain did not differ from the one reported for other types of interventions for pain management, as physical exercise and laser therapy. Taken together, these findings showed that currently available lines of evidence on the effect of VR-mediated therapy in chronic pain management, despite pointing towards possible therapeutical benefits of the VR-based intervention, are overall inconclusive and that more research on VR-assisted therapy for chronic pain is needed.

Head-Mounted Display for Clinical Evaluation of Neck Movement Validation with Meta Quest 2

“…Virtual reality (VR) is defined as a digital experience in which the subject interacts with an artificial environment [ 9 ]. Currently, the evolution of this technique and the development of new devices have created different types of VR—non-immersive, semi-immersive, and immersive—and the main difference between them is the degree of interaction with the artificial environment and the real world [ 10 , 11 ]. While non-immersive and semi-immersive offer computer-generated environments with a not-fully absence of physical surroundings, immersive VR (iVR) offers a greater disconnection from the real world, as well as further interaction with the fictional world through the use of VR head-mounted displays (HMD) [ 10 , 11 ].…”

“…Currently, the evolution of this technique and the development of new devices have created different types of VR—non-immersive, semi-immersive, and immersive—and the main difference between them is the degree of interaction with the artificial environment and the real world [ 10 , 11 ]. While non-immersive and semi-immersive offer computer-generated environments with a not-fully absence of physical surroundings, immersive VR (iVR) offers a greater disconnection from the real world, as well as further interaction with the fictional world through the use of VR head-mounted displays (HMD) [ 10 , 11 ]. Recent research in the health field aims to employ such a technology as a therapeutic tool thanks to its accessibility, adaptability, ease of use, and affordability [ 9 , 11 , 12 ].…”

“…While non-immersive and semi-immersive offer computer-generated environments with a not-fully absence of physical surroundings, immersive VR (iVR) offers a greater disconnection from the real world, as well as further interaction with the fictional world through the use of VR head-mounted displays (HMD) [ 10 , 11 ]. Recent research in the health field aims to employ such a technology as a therapeutic tool thanks to its accessibility, adaptability, ease of use, and affordability [ 9 , 11 , 12 ]. iVR is an important tool to improve the acquisition of motor skills better than conventional screens [ 13 ] and decreases the severity of symptoms such as anxiety and depression, fatigue, and pain [ 14 ].…”

“…iVR is an important tool to improve the acquisition of motor skills better than conventional screens [ 13 ] and decreases the severity of symptoms such as anxiety and depression, fatigue, and pain [ 14 ]. In addition, it helps to increase adherence to treatment because of the playful and motivational components, as well as the different feedback it provides to the patient [ 11 ], the different types of stimuli, making the patient focus on the task performance in the virtual environment [ 9 ].…”

Temporal Development of Sense of Presence and Cybersickness during an Immersive VR Experience

“…Following the technological and development of modern head-mounted displays (HMD), research investigating the effects of virtual environments (VE) on the human psyche and behavior has seen a surge in interest [1][2][3][4]. Recently, VEs has been successfully used in many applied fields, such as medicine and education [5][6][7], and work safety training [8]. The possibility of inducing the subjective perception that a simulation is reality has been a critical goal in the development of Virtual Reality (VR) systems [4].…”