Written by Mary Kay Chesher, RTC

Virtual reality: An effective new tool in helping children through rehabilitation from injury or illness

(LOMA LINDA, Calif. – April 3, 2018) — The term virtual reality has meant different things to different people over the past 80 years.

To fans of science fiction in the 1930s, it meant an alternative existence. In the 1950s it was considered “experimental theatre,” and in the 1970s it was embraced by the initial wave of computer geeks. But it wasn’t until the 1990s that America saw the first widespread commercial release of virtual reality-equipped consumer headsets as a game with endless possibilities.

Today virtual reality has become much more than just a thrilling form of amusement park rides or in-home entertainment. Increasingly it is being used in a wide range of medical applications as an analgesic, pain management tool, anxiety reducer and distraction intervention (thus blocking out other visual stimuli) for patients undergoing painful and tedious medical treatments as well as trauma resulting in anxiety and pain.

Since February 2017 we have been using virtual reality at Totally Kids Rehabilitation Hospital as a tool to assist children with a variety of needs, including those recovering from injuries, trauma, illness, and neurological injuries and conditions to name a few. We have integrated virtual reality apps – including video games, music, guided imagery and relaxation training – designed and created specifically for children/adolescents who are hospitalized and have used virtual reality effectively for anxiety reduction, pain management and range-of-motion training. Our experience has mirrored the scientific evidence findings that virtual reality makes medical treatment easier to handle and more enjoyable for the patient. In fact, we believe it is one of the contributing factors in our hospital repeatedly achieving extraordinary clinical improvement and outcomes that far surpass benchmarked expectations.

Among its many benefits, virtual reality has proven to be extremely effective at reducing anxiety and the sensation of pain. By doing so it acts as a powerful non-pharmacological analgesic during and after therapies and medical treatments. Children with acute pain reported less hurting during treatment and therapies when engaged in a virtual reality environment. That’s because the parts of the brain that are linked to pain – the somatosensory cortex and the insula – are less active when a patient is immersed in virtual reality.

As it applies to physical and occupational therapy, virtual reality is used to distract the child from the pain or anxiety that can be a part of stretching and range-of-motion techniques that are necessary to increase functional use of their body. Virtual reality used in combination with these therapies can result in increased range of motion and mobility with less pain and anxiety since the child is focused on something enjoyable and fun. At Totally Kids we have found that co- treating with other therapies and layering therapies at times can produce powerful results. In addition, research supports that perceived time passes by more quickly while the patient is engaged in virtual reality applications, which is helpful during uncomfortable techniques.

Before and after each session patients are asked to rate their anxiety and pain level. By their own report children and young adults are able to reduce their anxiety and pain level as well as increase their range of motion with virtual reality intervention. Today our patients are actually initiating requests for it when they are anxious or experiencing pain in an effort to calm themselves, relax and have a fun experience.

The use of visualization technology in medicine isn’t brand-new. But advances in computing power have made simulated images much more realistic, and the evidential proof of its efficacy has made it a much more powerful component in the treatment toolbox. For children and young adults in need of rehabilitation, this means a faster path toward gaining the skills, capabilities and confidence needed to return home, back to school and achieve their goals.

Mary Kay Chesher, RTC, is the biofeedback provider at Totally Kids Rehabilitation Hospital in Loma Linda, California.

© Copyright ASC COMMUNICATIONS 2018.

#     #     #