Immersive virtual reality for pain distraction methodologies and barriers

Abstract

A novel method for managing and treating physical and psychological pain is the need of the hour. Although cybertherapy is at its development stage, a great potential can be reaped when it is moulded in the right way. Clinical virtual reality is found to be a promising way of distracting the patients from sensing the pain during medical procedures, physical rehabilitation or post-traumatic stress. There exists no single pain management methodology that is good for everyone, or even the majority of people. Research findings prove that pain has many causes and courses, and can impact individuals in a multitude of ways including the behavioral, physiological, emotional, psychological, social and spiritual levels. Though distraction through audio visual aids has a significant effect in decreasing the intensity of pain signals in the brain, the analgesic efficacy has to be well researched and improved. The perception of pain varies with factors such as age, ethnicity, sex and genetics. Increased nervousness of patients in virtual world, patients' confidentiality, subjectivity in effectiveness on individuals, array of pains to be handled with a single virtual platform and cost are the major barriers to be tackled. This paper discusses ways of providing such generic, acceptable and proven methods of cybertherapy. Such virtually painless world shall be greatly achieved only with close cooperation between technologists and medical experts.