Virtual Reality is Beneficial in Decreasing Pain in Laboring Women: A Preliminary Study

Abstract

(Aust N Z J Obstet Gynaecol. 2023; 63: 193–197) Labor pain is a highly variable experience, with a wide range of both pharmacological and nonpharmacologic methods available to help relieve pain during labor. Virtual reality (VR) distraction therapy is one of many nonpharmacologic modalities shown to assist patients in managing their acute pain in clinical settings. This has been tested in patients undergoing chemotherapy, physical therapy, treatment for dental work, and burn wounds, among other procedures. Those who use VR technology wear a headset to experience a 3D multisensory virtual world. Four published quantitative studies to date have used VR to determine the influence of VR on laboring women’s pain scores. This preliminary study is an open-label, randomized, controlled cross-over trial to examine how effective VR is in decreasing pain in laboring women.