Journal of Pain & Relief
Open Access

Abstract

Pain is the most common cause of suffering and disability, affecting millions of people around the world. The direct and indirect cost to the patient and society is tremendous. (IOM 2011; Goldberg & Summer 2011). It is the leading reason that people seek medical attention, costing the nation > $600 billion annually - more than heart disease, cancer, and diabetes combined (IOM 2011). Pain is multidimensional and highly complex, and involves the integration of sensation and perception. Recent research indicates that immersive virtual reality can be used as a tool in treating pain. VR-based interventions have been used in acute pain management for over a decade. Intervention with Virtual Reality (VR) games is based on distraction or interruption in the way current thoughts, including pain, are processed by the brain. (Li et al., 2011; Sato et al., 2012). The utility of VR in the management of acute, possibly chronic pain has been demonstrated, and is a powerful tool in our treatment, and ability to reduce medication dependency and the risks of medication side effects is worthwhile. While VR has been demonstrated in a variety of settings to effectively decrease pain and distress associated with painful procedures, researchers have only recently begun to deconstruct patient and disease characteristics, specific aspects of VR technology, and to identify the neurobiological mechanisms underlying VR. Understanding the current science behind the use of VR and the on-going research supporting its use in pain management, will empower the practitioner to recommend this unique treatment for the complex management of pain.

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