Virtual Reality in Acute and Chronic Pain Medicine: An Updated Review

Area of Science:

• Pain Management
• Virtual Reality Applications
• Non-pharmacological Interventions

Background:

• Virtual reality (VR) is increasingly explored as a therapeutic tool.
• Pain management strategies are evolving to include non-pharmacological options.

Purpose of the Study:

• To critically analyze recent literature on VR for acute and chronic pain.
• To assess VR's efficacy, applications, and limitations in pain management.

Main Methods:

• Review of recent literature, including meta-analyses and randomized controlled trials.
• Analysis of studies investigating VR's impact on pain intensity.

Main Results:

• VR effectively reduces pain intensity in acute pain scenarios and chronic pain conditions.
• Immersion and presence enhance VR's analgesic effects.
• VR aids in pain assessment and symptom gathering via conversational avatars.
• Efficacy varies based on pain origin specificity.
• Limited studies necessitate further investigation for strong conclusions.

Conclusions:

• VR is a promising non-pharmacological intervention for acute and chronic pain.
• Long-term efficacy, especially in chronic pain, requires additional research.
• VR's role in pain management is expanding but needs further validation.