Virtual Reality Is Taking the Hurt Out of Pain
NEW STUDIES SHOW THAT THE USE OF VR HAS THE POTENTIAL TO REDUCE CHRONIC PAIN, AND MAY PROVIDE AN EFFECTIVE ALTERNATIVE TO THE USE OF OPIOIDS
Slip on a set virtual reality (VR) goggles and connected gloves, and you are transported to another world. For the entertainment industry, that kind of immersive VR may mean shoot-‘em-up games where players have to blast blood-thirsty aliens or other bad guys to save the day. For the military, it may be simulations for pilot instruction or soldier training. And for a growing number of researchers— and now companies—the focus is on using VR systems to help patients deal with pain.
