Listen to Dr.Paul Christo’s feature story, Futuristic Pain Relief, on his Aches and Gains radio show dedicated to overcoming pain. Dr. Christo interviews researcher Dr. Sam Sharar (U. of Washington) about the neuroscience behind why VR has such a strong pain reducing effect. Dr. Sharar has been a longtime collaborator with Firsthand as part of the SnowWorld research team at UW. The show includes the personal story of a patient, Luke Moore, got great relief with VR during his repeated treatments of deep, extensive burns.

Dr. Sharar’s studies have shown 20-40% reductions in pain, even when VR is used on top of narcotic painkillers. Most importantly, VR continued to help with reducing pain after multiple treatments. “That’s reassuring,” Dr. Sharar said, “this isn’t just a novelty effect; there is something biologic going on in this technique to bring relief time after time.”

Check out Dr. Christo’s weekly show to stay up to date on the latest pain research and practice. SiriusXM Family Talk 131 Saturdays 5-6pm EST.