Advances of Virtual Reality in the Field of Pain Treatment

Abstract

Pain not only affects the physical and mental health of individuals, but also imposes a huge burden on society as a whole. Traditional pain management measures are diverse, but each has its limitations. Therefore, there is an urgent need for new tools. Digital therapies are booming, and virtual reality (VR) has been widely used, especially in the field of pain management. VR uses assistive tools, such as headsets, to build a three-dimensional virtual world with the participation of multiple senses, including vision, hearing, and smell, so that it can make user feel being there. This review aims to summarize the application and mechanism of VR in the field of pain management, with the hope of making VR a new choice for pain management.

Keywords

• pain
• chronic pain
• virtual reality
• digital therapeutics