The role of virtual reality as adjunctive therapy to spinal cord stimulation in chronic pain: A feasible concept?
Spinal cord stimulation and virtual reality therapy are established and promising techniques, respectively, for managing chronic pain, each with its unique advantages and challenges. While each therapy has been the subject of significant research interest, the prospect of combining the two modalitie...
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2023-02-01
|
| Series: | Frontiers in Pain Research |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpain.2023.1094125/full |
| _version_ | 1797894280089436160 |
|---|---|
| author | Timothy Noble Lyndon Boone Antonios El Helou Antonios El Helou |
| author_facet | Timothy Noble Lyndon Boone Antonios El Helou Antonios El Helou |
| author_sort | Timothy Noble |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Spinal cord stimulation and virtual reality therapy are established and promising techniques, respectively, for managing chronic pain, each with its unique advantages and challenges. While each therapy has been the subject of significant research interest, the prospect of combining the two modalities to offer a synergistic effect in chronic pain therapy is still in its infancy. In this narrative review, we assess the state of the field combining virtual reality as an adjunctive therapy to spinal cord stimulation in chronic pain. We also review the broader field of virtual reality therapy for acute and chronic pain, considering evidence related to feasibility in the Canadian healthcare system from cost and patient satisfaction perspectives. While early results show promise, there are unexplored aspects of spinal cord stimulation combined with virtual reality therapy, particularly long-term effects on analgesia, anxiolysis, and implications on the effectiveness and longevity of spinal cord stimulation. The infrastructure for billing virtual reality as a consult service or therapy must also catch up if it is eventually used to supplement spinal cord stimulation for chronic pain. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-10T07:06:28Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ae49b85939ad430aa1e1da1ddc15f399 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2673-561X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-10T07:06:28Z |
| publishDate | 2023-02-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Pain Research |
| spelling | doaj.art-ae49b85939ad430aa1e1da1ddc15f3992023-02-27T07:35:44ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Pain Research2673-561X2023-02-01410.3389/fpain.2023.10941251094125The role of virtual reality as adjunctive therapy to spinal cord stimulation in chronic pain: A feasible concept?Timothy Noble0Lyndon Boone1Antonios El Helou2Antonios El Helou3Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL, CanadaFaculty of Medicine, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL, CanadaFaculty of Medicine, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL, CanadaDivision of Neurosurgery, Horizon Health Network, Moncton, NB, CanadaSpinal cord stimulation and virtual reality therapy are established and promising techniques, respectively, for managing chronic pain, each with its unique advantages and challenges. While each therapy has been the subject of significant research interest, the prospect of combining the two modalities to offer a synergistic effect in chronic pain therapy is still in its infancy. In this narrative review, we assess the state of the field combining virtual reality as an adjunctive therapy to spinal cord stimulation in chronic pain. We also review the broader field of virtual reality therapy for acute and chronic pain, considering evidence related to feasibility in the Canadian healthcare system from cost and patient satisfaction perspectives. While early results show promise, there are unexplored aspects of spinal cord stimulation combined with virtual reality therapy, particularly long-term effects on analgesia, anxiolysis, and implications on the effectiveness and longevity of spinal cord stimulation. The infrastructure for billing virtual reality as a consult service or therapy must also catch up if it is eventually used to supplement spinal cord stimulation for chronic pain.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpain.2023.1094125/fullvirtual realityspinal cord stimulation (SCS)chronic painneuromodulationcognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) |
| spellingShingle | Timothy Noble Lyndon Boone Antonios El Helou Antonios El Helou The role of virtual reality as adjunctive therapy to spinal cord stimulation in chronic pain: A feasible concept? Frontiers in Pain Research virtual reality spinal cord stimulation (SCS) chronic pain neuromodulation cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) |
| title | The role of virtual reality as adjunctive therapy to spinal cord stimulation in chronic pain: A feasible concept? |
| title_full | The role of virtual reality as adjunctive therapy to spinal cord stimulation in chronic pain: A feasible concept? |
| title_fullStr | The role of virtual reality as adjunctive therapy to spinal cord stimulation in chronic pain: A feasible concept? |
| title_full_unstemmed | The role of virtual reality as adjunctive therapy to spinal cord stimulation in chronic pain: A feasible concept? |
| title_short | The role of virtual reality as adjunctive therapy to spinal cord stimulation in chronic pain: A feasible concept? |
| title_sort | role of virtual reality as adjunctive therapy to spinal cord stimulation in chronic pain a feasible concept |
| topic | virtual reality spinal cord stimulation (SCS) chronic pain neuromodulation cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpain.2023.1094125/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT timothynoble theroleofvirtualrealityasadjunctivetherapytospinalcordstimulationinchronicpainafeasibleconcept AT lyndonboone theroleofvirtualrealityasadjunctivetherapytospinalcordstimulationinchronicpainafeasibleconcept AT antonioselhelou theroleofvirtualrealityasadjunctivetherapytospinalcordstimulationinchronicpainafeasibleconcept AT antonioselhelou theroleofvirtualrealityasadjunctivetherapytospinalcordstimulationinchronicpainafeasibleconcept AT timothynoble roleofvirtualrealityasadjunctivetherapytospinalcordstimulationinchronicpainafeasibleconcept AT lyndonboone roleofvirtualrealityasadjunctivetherapytospinalcordstimulationinchronicpainafeasibleconcept AT antonioselhelou roleofvirtualrealityasadjunctivetherapytospinalcordstimulationinchronicpainafeasibleconcept AT antonioselhelou roleofvirtualrealityasadjunctivetherapytospinalcordstimulationinchronicpainafeasibleconcept |