Researchers at Imperial College London have found that in case of pain, the use of virtual reality headsets can relieve. Particularly when the patient is immersed in images of pack ice, icebergs, landscapes of ice.
Psychological suffering, stress, disease detection… The possible health benefits of virtual reality have interested the scientific community for several years. A new study, published in the journal Pain Reports, demonstrates that this technology can also help relieve chronic pain. This study was conducted by researchers at Imperial College London.
imitate the pain
The path favored by scientists is that first of all, virtual reality distracts the patient. In addition, it could trigger pain control systems, reduce sensitivity to painful stimuli and the intensity of suffering. Fifteen people participated in this study. They were administered to the skin of their leg a topical cream containing capsaicin, the compound in chili peppers that burns the mouth. The capsaicin sensitized the skin, making it more sensitive to painful stimuli (in this case, a small electric shock). This process was able to mimic the heightened sensitivity of people with chronic pain, such as lower back pain, arthritis, or nerve pain.
Immersion is key
Each patient had to rate on a scale of 1 to 100 the pain caused by the cream, while watching a virtual reality scene representing the Arctic. The researchers found that pain sensation and sensitivity to painful stimuli were reduced after virtual reality immersion. However, this was not the case when the patient observed only still images of the pack ice. Which proved to the science team that immersion was the key factor. It should be noted, however, that even if the results are encouraging for the researchers, the study is limited by the small number of participants.
Virtual reality, future alternative treatment?
Other studies will have to be carried out in the future, in particular to determine which are the exact ways which allow virtual reality to relieve pain. But also to arrive at an effective dosage schedule, such as 30-minute sessions for example, once or several times a day. “The purpose of this study was to demonstrate that virtual reality has the ability to alter the pathological processing associated with chronic pain,” says Dr. Sam Hughes, lead author of the study.
“There’s still a lot to figure out, but one of the interesting things about our study is that the VR design we used is completely passive. In other words, patients do not need to use their arms. This could mean that those who suffer from chronic pain but who are bedridden or cannot move their limbs, could benefit from this approach,” he concludes.
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