Virtual Reality as an Adjunct for Chronic Non-Cancer Pain Management.

Development of a novel virtual reality-based application as an adjunctive modality in chronic non-cancer pain management.

Chronic Non-Cancer Pain (CNCP) is a highly prevalent condition with debilitating psychosocial effects. Despite this, CNCP remains poorly managed. With increasing interest in the use of Virtual Reality (VR) in chronic pain management, our study team developed a patient-centric VR prototype as an adjuvant pain management tool.

We conducted a multi-phase prospective qualitative study using purposive criterion sampling. Phases 1 (n=16) and 3 (n=14) included patients suffering from non-cancer chronic pain for more than three months, while phase 2 (n=8) involved healthcare professionals with more than six months experience in pain medicine. All participants were recruited from our institution’s Chronic Pain Clinic, with the study conducted through semi-structured interviews.

Thematic analyses of the participants interviewed in Phases 1 and 2, detailed in Figure 1, revealed barriers relating to affordability and accessing multidisciplinary treatment for CNCP patients. Seven educational VR modules were designed, applying mindfulness-based stress reduction and diaphragmatic breathing and relaxation as modes of pain distraction. Phase 3 participants partook in two 20-minute VR sessions and post-intervention interviews showed that participants generally perceived the VR modules to be easy to use and beneficial for pain management, as seen in Figure 2 and 3.

This study aimed to understand participants’ perceptions toward a VR prototype as an adjuvant pain management tool. Although further assessments are needed to assess its effectiveness, our results validate the prototype as a promising adjunct in the multimodal management of CNCP, and its potential to increase accessibility to, and reduce the perceived stigma associated with psychotherapy.