Virtual Reality for Decreasing Procedural Pain during Botulinum Toxin Injection Related to Spasticity Treatment in...

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Pain Management
• Medical Technology

Background:

• Botulinum toxin injections are standard for spasticity but cause pain and anxiety.
• Current pain management relies on pharmacological methods.
• Virtual reality (VR) offers a non-pharmacological approach to mitigate procedural pain.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of immersive VR in reducing pain and anxiety during botulinum toxin injections.
• To assess patient satisfaction with VR as a pain management tool.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective pilot study included 17 adult patients undergoing botulinum toxin injections.
• Pain and anxiety were measured using a numerical rating scale.
• Patients compared pain during VR-assisted injections to previous non-VR injections.

Main Results:

• VR use decreased pain scores by 1.8 points compared to procedures without VR.
• No significant reduction in anxiety levels was observed.
• Patients reported high satisfaction (7.9/10) and strong willingness to reuse (88%) and recommend (100%) VR.

Conclusions:

• Virtual reality is effective in managing procedural pain associated with botulinum toxin injections in adults.
• VR presents a viable, non-pharmacological alternative for pain control during these procedures.
• High patient satisfaction supports the integration of VR into clinical practice.