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Virtual Reality Based Guided Meditation for Patients with Opioid Tolerance and Opioid Use Disorders
Jennifer L Hargett1, Sharon D McElwain1, Mary E McNair1
1School of Nursing, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, USA.
Summary
Virtual reality guided meditation significantly reduced acute pain in patients with opioid tolerance or opioid use disorders. This non-pharmacological approach offers a safe alternative for pain management in this population.
Area of Science:
- Pain Management
- Virtual Reality in Healthcare
- Opioid Use Disorder Treatment
Background:
- Managing acute pain in patients with opioid tolerance or opioid use disorders is challenging.
- There is a growing need for safe, effective alternatives to opioid medications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine if immersive virtual reality guided meditation can reduce pain in patients with opioid tolerance or opioid use disorders.
- To explore a non-pharmacological pain management strategy for individuals with opioid use disorder.
Main Methods:
- A pilot study involving 11 hospitalized adults with opioid tolerance or opioid use disorder experiencing acute pain.
- A 10-minute guided meditation using the Calm® app on an Oculus Go® VR headset.
- Quasi-experimental pre-test and post-test design.
Main Results:
- Mean patient-reported pain scores decreased from 6.68 before the intervention to 3.36 after the virtual reality experience.
- The reduction in pain scores was statistically significant (p = .003).
- No significant side effects were reported during the study.
Conclusions:
- Guided meditation delivered via immersive virtual reality can significantly reduce acute pain.
- Virtual reality offers a promising, non-pharmacological adjunct for pain management in patients with opioid tolerance or opioid use disorders.
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