Healthcare providers, researchers, and those experiencing chronic pain are on the hunt for accessible, palatable treatments that produce sustained pain relief.

Chronic pain is responsible for a sizable disease burden—and considerable suffering. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), one in five U.S. adults experiences chronic pain, and nearly one in 10 experiences high-impact chronic pain that frequently impedes life or work activities.

Unfortunately, chronic pain patients often experience limited access to care under the current guidelines, which call for the integration of evidence-based behavioral medicine strategies in treating chronic pain.

A recent unblinded, randomized controlled study explored the use of skills-based behavioral virtual reality (VR) technology to reduce pain outcomes for chronic pain patients. If effective, such technology could be applied on-demand in people's homes.

The study compared two treatment groups:

1. VR group: this group underwent a 21-day treatment program using immersive VR-based sessions that supported learning self-management skills based on evidence-based cognitive behavioral therapy principles, biofeedback, and mindfulness strategies.
2. Audio group: this group received audio-only training using audio recordings similar to those in the VR sessions, but without the references to the visual content.

The results showed a clinically meaningful reduction in pain indicators in both treatment groups, and overall, the pain reduction effects were higher in the VR group than in the audio-only group. Additionally, there was high engagement with the treatment.

While further research in this area is needed, immersive VR seems to have the potential to serve as a useful tool in the treatment of chronic pain.

If you or someone you care for is coping with chronic pain, a good first step is connecting with a HealthTap virtual primary care doctor. With HealthTap’s virtual primary care program, you can choose your own doctor — and get ongoing care and guidance from the same doctor — all while managing care remotely. You can also be referred for in-person care when you need it.