Improving Health with Virtual Reality.

For many years, healthcare has been benefiting from innovation in technology. Years ago, when I was working on a military veteran mental health project, I shared offices with a group of psychologists who were working on finding innovative methods to help military veterans suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). A common symptom of PTSD is the re-experiencing of a traumatic event long after it has occurred. The psychologists were focusing on research to determine if Virtual Reality (VR) could be an effective treatment for PTSD. The equipment they used was a headset attached to a computer and what looked like an enormous hamster wheel. The enormous hamster wheel allowed the soldier to walk in place while wearing the headset. It looked, and probably was, very expensive.

VR is technology that allows one to be completely immersed in an environment while wearing a headset and often headphones too. What makes VR unique is that you can put the headset on and be transported to other places visually with a complete 360 degree view of the digital environment. The immersive experience is unlike any other. While VR is not new, recent advances in technology have made VR more affordable and therefore more accessible to everyone. I was able to get a Samsung Gear VR headset for free when I upgraded my phone last year. I simply insert my phone into the headset, put on the headset and like magic, I am in another location. Since I don’t have a hamster wheel or something like that, I experience VR while seated.

VR was found to be helpful in reducing the symptoms of PTSD in studies conducted by the National Center for Telehealth and Technology, a Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury.1 In what they call Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy, soldiers use the VR headset to experience their traumatic experience over and over again.  For example, if a soldier’s trauma involved witnessing an explosion, the VR experience would replicate the soldiers experience in great detail and allow them to, over time, process the experience.  VR was also used to create a virtual community where soldiers could interact with others anonymously and further their healing by allowing them to talk about their experiences without feeling self-conscious.

Research related to VR has extended beyond the military and PTSD. For over 10 years various studies have been conducted regarding the use of VR in alleviating pain. The prevailing belief at this time is that it works in alleviating pain simply because it serves as a distraction: it takes a patient’s mind off of the experience of pain.2 One study involved a VR experience built specifically for burn victims. In the application the patients experience a winter wonderland in which they are able to throw snowballs. This successfully distracted them from their feelings of pain.2 Research has found that it can be effective for both chronic (long term) and acute (short term) pain.3 It has even been used to reduce anxiety in children during blood draws.3

The best news is that anyone can now benefit from this technology outside the research lab. The leading VR headsets have been dropping in price dramatically over the past year. Both the Google Daydream and Samsung Gear VR are under $100. You may get lucky like me and get one for free if you shop at the right time. The variety of applications are increasing every day. The home user now has application choices that focus on health and wellness, such as, relaxation, pain relief, meditation and daily affirmations.

There are a variety of choices in VR now, and this is just the beginning!  I foresee many more helpful health related applications, some of which I hope will reduce the dependency on drugs. I am fascinated by this technology and am excited at the promise it holds for healthcare both in the healthcare environment and at home.

1.       Robin Mincher. (2012, January 4).  T2 Treatments for PTSD Get Virtual.  Retrieved from http://science.dodlive.mil/2012/01/04/t2-treatments-for-ptsd-get-virtual/

2.       Hunter Hoffman. (N/A).  Virtual Reality Pain Reduction; University of Washington Seattle and U.W. Harborview Burn Center.  https://www.hitl.washington.edu/projects/vrpain/

3.       Angela Li, Zorash Montano, Vincent J Chen, Jeffry Gold. (2011, March 1). Virtual reality and pain management: current trends and future directions.  Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3138477/

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