Virtual reality in managing Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS): a scoping review

Area of Science:

• Pain Management
• Neurorehabilitation
• Psychology

Background:

• Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) is a severe pain disorder with significant quality of life impacts.
• Patients with CRPS experience physical pain and psychological distress, affecting body image and limb perception.
• Current treatments for CRPS are limited, necessitating novel therapeutic approaches.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a scoping review of Virtual Reality (VR) modalities for Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) treatment.
• To identify the impact of VR on pain levels, body perception disturbances (BPD), and limb function in CRPS patients.
• To synthesize current evidence on VR's effectiveness in managing CRPS symptoms.

Main Methods:

• A systematic literature search was performed using PRISMA Scoping Review guidelines.
• The search identified 217 articles, with 7 studies included in the final qualitative synthesis.
• Included studies comprised various trial designs, including clinical trials and randomized controlled trials.

Main Results:

• VR therapies demonstrated statistically significant improvements in pain modulation and BPD in some studies.
• Subjective patient findings indicated positive experiences with VR interventions.
• Evidence for VR's impact on limb movement and daily function was limited, with some contradictory patient data.

Conclusions:

• VR modalities, particularly immersive VR, cardiac signaling, body switching, and limb modulation, show potential for CRPS pain and BPD management.
• These VR strategies may target underlying pathophysiological mechanisms of CRPS.
• More research is needed to establish VR's efficacy for limb function and to address study limitations.