Virtual reality may decrease rates of pain, distress and anxiety in patients hospitalized with acute pain, according to an Aug. 10 report from Anesthesiology News.
A study presented at the 2023 annual meeting of the Society for Ambulatory Anesthesia revealed VR can improve the results of nonpharmacologic pain treatment.
The study analyzed how 15 patients suffering from acute pain were impacted by wearing a PICO VR headset installed with the SootheVR program. The headsets allowed the patients to choose among programs displaying peaceful settings or scenarios for 20 minutes.
The VR treatment resulted in each patient's hand temperature increasing, signifying greater levels of relaxation. Additionally, each patient reported higher levels of satisfaction and lower levels of pain.
"We conclude that VR can be incorporated as a bedside treatment to lessen pain, reduce stress and reduce anxiety," Sarah Trost, PhD, assistant professor in the department of anesthesiology at the Milwaukee-based Medical College of Wisconsin, said in the report.