Enhancing Body Image in Chronic Pain: A Case Study Utilizing Virtual Reality

This case study aims to provide data regarding the acceptability of CLEVER, a positive body image-based intervention supported by the use of virtual reality to improve body image and other pain-related variables in people with chronic low back pain.

The intervention consists of four sessions: Psychoeducation about pain and its impact on the body, Body Awareness, Acceptance of the body with pain, and Appreciation and gratitude toward the body. A daily monitoring and an interview were conducted to assess the intervention.

John (fictitious name) is a 48-year-old man who has been suffering from low back pain for 5 years as a result of an accident at work. Before starting the intervention, the patient presented a considerable level of kinesiophobia, fear of pain, and emotional distress and he also reported body image problems due to pain. After the intervention, data showed a moderate effect on pain interference, kinesiophobia, a reduction of emotional distress and a questionable effect on pain catastrophizing and pain intensity. Regarding Positive Body Image variables, results showed a moderate improvement in Appreciation of Body Functionality and a questionable effect on Pain Acceptance and Body Awareness. The patient also showed good adherence to the treatment and good acceptability of the intervention and the virtual environments.

CLEVER-BODY is the first positive body image-based intervention using Virtual Reality that has shown improvements in variables related to pain and body image. Nonetheless, further studies will be necessary to evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention in a larger sample.