Virtual Reality Treatment for Neuropathic Pain
By Rob Robinson, Senior Occupational Therapist, estara
At estara, we’ve been using Virtual Reality to support our clients experiencing neuropathic pain associated with Spinal Cord and other injury. The technology has received a lot of interest – here’s how we are using it and what our clients have told us about their experience.
What is Virtual Reality?
Virtual Reality (VR) or Augmented Reality (AR) is a technology that creates a simulated environment, allowing people to immerse themselves in a computer-generated world that can mimic or differ from their real world.
Augmented Reality overlays digital information (images, sounds, etc.) onto the real world – an example is Pokémon Go where characters appear in real-world environments
Virtual Reality creates a completely immersive digital environment that replaces the real world – an example is putting on a VR headset and stepping into environment like a new planet or going back in time
Nature Treks and Beat Saber are both examples of this and you can see them in action on the links below:
Here's a basic rundown of what VR systems typically include:
Headsets: These are worn on the head and cover the eyes, providing an immersive display to create a 3D effect of walking into something.
Controllers: Handheld devices allow people to interact with the virtual environment. These often have buttons, joysticks, and motion tracking.
Motion Tracking Sensors track head and body movements, adjusting the visual display accordingly to create the sensation of moving within the virtual environment.
How does VR work as a Therapy?
VR is a type of immersive therapy and is understood to reduce pain in a couple of ways:
to provide distraction and or;
to give a sense of peace and relaxation. This was thought to be helpful for reducing pain but also simply ‘as an experience’.
Theraputic Components
Immersion: VR allows someone to enter a fully immersive virtual environment that can be a calm and soothing setting like a beach or forest.
Distraction: Immersive VR distracts people from their pain by engaging their senses and attention in the virtual environment. This distraction can reduce the perception of pain.
Neuroplasticity: VR can encourage neuroplasticity, which is the brain's ability to reorganize itself by forming new neural connections. By engaging in VR experiences, we can help people’s brains form new pathways that reduce pain signals.
Interactive Therapy: Some VR programs are interactive and designed specifically for therapeutic purposes. These might include guided exercises, relaxation techniques, or mindfulness practices within the virtual environment.
Biofeedback Integration: Advanced VR systems can integrate biofeedback, where the VR environment changes in response to the patient’s physiological signals (like heart rate or muscle tension), helping them learn to control their responses to pain.
Studies have shown that the therapeutic benefits are built over repeated use - for example: “…the greatest reductions in neuropathic pain intensity were shown in four studies examining mid-to-long term” (Austin et al, 2021). In short, this means use the therapy as often as possible.
What our clients have told us
Nature Treks VR® was generally considered to be relaxing whereas Beat Saber® was more distracting.
Both however, had qualities that many of our participants felt were ‘immersive’.
Some of the feedback from our participants includes:
A Welcome Distraction
“My pain is something that I have constantly … whenever I’m awake, it’s there. So, this was like a way to escape it for a bit”.
“Weather could be shocking, wheelchair’s broken or a flat tyre …to get rid of the pain I can jump on the virtual reality and smash it out for half an hour, pain’s gone!”
A Chance to Relax / Improve Mood
“I think it could reduce your nerve pain by just relaxing”
“It’s a calming thing and a place you can go to get away from things”
“Improving mood when you’re bed bound or out of action, giving you something to do would be good”
How I use it in my therapy practice with clients
Some of my favorite applications include:
Immersive safari: For many of my clients, going on holiday is just not possible for so many reasons. This is the next best option to feel like you really have gone on a safari.
VR Racing: I have plenty of clients that are thrill seekers but can’t really leave their home. This provides meaningful, fun activities that they wouldn’t be able to experience outside VR.
Social opportunities: There are heaps of options for this. As humans we are social creatures because our survival and wellbeing have always depended on forming relationships, cooperating, and living in groups. We’re wired to seek connection, share resources, and communicate, which helps us learn, solve problems, and thrive together.
How can I get started?
Get in touch with estara to express your interest. Please note we do have an active waiting list at present.
Our team will then get you to complete a screening checklist – not everyone is suitable for VR.
Once a spot is available we will measure pre and post outcomes to capture pain changes, quality of life benefits and track how the therapy has worked for you.