A Virtual reality therapy that involves watching calming 3D videos can significantly reduce pain for hospitalised patients, according to a study. Researchers from Cedars-Sinai Medical Centre in the US examined 100 hospitalised patients who reported pain scores of greater than three on the Numeric Pain Rating Scale from zero to 10.
Fifty patients received virtual reality (VR) therapy consisting of wearing VR goggles to watch calming video content such as helicopter rides over scenic portions of Iceland, or imagery of swimming in the ocean with whales.Those patients reported a 24 per cent drop in pain scores after using the virtual reality goggles.Another 50 patients viewed a standard, two-dimensional nature video, depicting relaxing scenes with a calming music audio track, on a close-proximity screen. Although those patients also experienced a reduction in pain, the decrease of 13.2 per…
