How Virtual Reality is Revolutionising Pain Management
Got pain? Of course you do - we all have pain in our lives, whether it's stepping on a LEGO brick or getting stabbed by a rampant syringe at the doctor's office. Pain sucks, plain and simple.
While popping pills used to be the go-to treatment, technology now offers us a funkier option: virtual reality! Strap on a headset and let VR teleport you to a pain-free paradise, well not quite, but it's a highly affective way to treat our aches, pains, conditions and injuries.
So let's see how VR is taking the pain away.
VR as a Distraction Technique
The logic behind using VR for pain is simple. These headsets immerse you in a 3D world that's way more interesting than whatever is causing you pain. Your brain gets caught up in the stimulating sights and sounds of VR, forgetting to process as many of those screeching nerve signals from your aching body.
If VR can absorb your attention, it can absorb your pain. Of course, try doing this without VR by staring at a wall during a root canal - not nearly as effective!
VR During Medical Procedures
Hospital VR headsets are letting patients vacation from the pain of pesky medical procedures. In one study of kids getting IVs, the VR group handled it way better than the control group. I mean, would you rather focus on a needle poking your arm or swim with dolphins?
During dental surgery, VR also reduces anxiety and pain - just don't expect the dentist to give you a literal carrot for holding still! Even for major surgeries, VR can dull the agony, taking the sting out of being sliced open.
VR for Rehabilitation and Physical Therapy
Rehabbing from injury or surgery is necessary suffering. But throw some VR into physical therapy, and those agonizing exercises get way more bearable. The immersive worlds act like a sponge sopping up pain signals as you grind through range of motion movements. Stroke and burn patients enjoy less painful therapy sessions when distracted with VR. And they call video games useless!
VR for Chronic Pain Management
For ongoing conditions like Endometriosis, VR presents a neato drug-free option for delivering pain relief. With both at-home and in-clinic setups, chronic pain sufferers can dip into soothing virtual worlds to mute their symptoms. One study found that just 10 minutes of VR offered significant temporary pain reduction. So even short VR visits can give chronic pain the boot.
Virtual reality is stepping up as a futuristic painkiller - no nasty side effects or risk of addiction! Research continues to show its ability to dull pain across medical, therapy, and chronic settings.
As VR gets more advanced and immersive, its powers of distraction and pain relief will only grow. Of course, modern medicine still has its place in the pain-fighting toolkit.
But VR offers a promising complementary technique for giving pain the virtual boot!
