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Embodiment in Virtual Reality for the Treatment of Chronic Low Back Pain: A Case Series

PURPOSE: We describe two case studies that use embodiment in virtual reality as a treatment for chronic low back pain. The purpose of this case series was to determine the feasibility of a novel virtual reality-based digital therapeutic for the treatment of chronic pain. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Two pa...

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Autores principales: Trujillo, Michael S, Alvarez, Anthony F, Nguyen, Lincoln, Petros, James
Formato: Online Artículo Texto
Lenguaje:English
Publicado: Dove 2020
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7701139/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33269003
http://dx.doi.org/10.2147/JPR.S275312
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author Trujillo, Michael S
Alvarez, Anthony F
Nguyen, Lincoln
Petros, James
author_facet Trujillo, Michael S
Alvarez, Anthony F
Nguyen, Lincoln
Petros, James
author_sort Trujillo, Michael S
collection PubMed
description PURPOSE: We describe two case studies that use embodiment in virtual reality as a treatment for chronic low back pain. The purpose of this case series was to determine the feasibility of a novel virtual reality-based digital therapeutic for the treatment of chronic pain. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Two patients with chronic low back pain received seven sessions, two sessions per week, of a novel digital therapeutic that combines virtual embodiment with graded motor imagery to deliver functional rehabilitation exercises using an off-the-shelf virtual reality system. Pain intensity was measured using a visual analog scale before and after each session to get an indication whether individual sessions of virtual embodiment training decrease pain intensity. Pain catastrophizing scale was assessed before the first session and after the seventh session to determine the extent to which virtual embodiment training can improve psychological symptoms of chronic low back pain. RESULTS: In both patients, pain intensity was improved after individual sessions of virtual embodiment training as measured by a paired t-test: (Patient A: t = 2.890, P < 0.05) and (Patient B: t = 5.346, P < 0.005). This indicates that individual sessions of virtual embodiment training decrease pain intensity. In both patients, improvements were observed in three subscales of the pain catastrophizing scale (rumination, magnification, and helplessness). This indicates that virtual embodiment training may have benefits for chronic pain symptoms such as pain intensity, pain-related mobility impairment, and disability. CONCLUSION: This case series provides evidence that embodiment in virtual reality improves symptoms of persistent chronic low back pain. We propose a mechanism by which virtual embodiment may improve chronic pain symptoms by recontextualizing sensory feedback from the body as patients engage in functional rehabilitation exercises while in virtual reality.
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spelling pubmed-77011392020-12-01 Embodiment in Virtual Reality for the Treatment of Chronic Low Back Pain: A Case Series Trujillo, Michael S Alvarez, Anthony F Nguyen, Lincoln Petros, James J Pain Res Case Series PURPOSE: We describe two case studies that use embodiment in virtual reality as a treatment for chronic low back pain. The purpose of this case series was to determine the feasibility of a novel virtual reality-based digital therapeutic for the treatment of chronic pain. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Two patients with chronic low back pain received seven sessions, two sessions per week, of a novel digital therapeutic that combines virtual embodiment with graded motor imagery to deliver functional rehabilitation exercises using an off-the-shelf virtual reality system. Pain intensity was measured using a visual analog scale before and after each session to get an indication whether individual sessions of virtual embodiment training decrease pain intensity. Pain catastrophizing scale was assessed before the first session and after the seventh session to determine the extent to which virtual embodiment training can improve psychological symptoms of chronic low back pain. RESULTS: In both patients, pain intensity was improved after individual sessions of virtual embodiment training as measured by a paired t-test: (Patient A: t = 2.890, P < 0.05) and (Patient B: t = 5.346, P < 0.005). This indicates that individual sessions of virtual embodiment training decrease pain intensity. In both patients, improvements were observed in three subscales of the pain catastrophizing scale (rumination, magnification, and helplessness). This indicates that virtual embodiment training may have benefits for chronic pain symptoms such as pain intensity, pain-related mobility impairment, and disability. CONCLUSION: This case series provides evidence that embodiment in virtual reality improves symptoms of persistent chronic low back pain. We propose a mechanism by which virtual embodiment may improve chronic pain symptoms by recontextualizing sensory feedback from the body as patients engage in functional rehabilitation exercises while in virtual reality. Dove 2020-11-25 /pmc/articles/PMC7701139/ /pubmed/33269003 http://dx.doi.org/10.2147/JPR.S275312 Text en © 2020 Trujillo et al. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ This work is published and licensed by Dove Medical Press Limited. The full terms of this license are available at https://www.dovepress.com/terms.php and incorporate the Creative Commons Attribution – Non Commercial (unported, v3.0) License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/). By accessing the work you hereby accept the Terms. Non-commercial uses of the work are permitted without any further permission from Dove Medical Press Limited, provided the work is properly attributed. For permission for commercial use of this work, please see paragraphs 4.2 and 5 of our Terms (https://www.dovepress.com/terms.php).
spellingShingle Case Series
Trujillo, Michael S
Alvarez, Anthony F
Nguyen, Lincoln
Petros, James
Embodiment in Virtual Reality for the Treatment of Chronic Low Back Pain: A Case Series
title Embodiment in Virtual Reality for the Treatment of Chronic Low Back Pain: A Case Series
title_full Embodiment in Virtual Reality for the Treatment of Chronic Low Back Pain: A Case Series
title_fullStr Embodiment in Virtual Reality for the Treatment of Chronic Low Back Pain: A Case Series
title_full_unstemmed Embodiment in Virtual Reality for the Treatment of Chronic Low Back Pain: A Case Series
title_short Embodiment in Virtual Reality for the Treatment of Chronic Low Back Pain: A Case Series
title_sort embodiment in virtual reality for the treatment of chronic low back pain: a case series
topic Case Series
url https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7701139/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33269003
http://dx.doi.org/10.2147/JPR.S275312
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