This week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that – for the first time – it’ll be awarding approval to a virtual reality (VR) based treatment for chronic lower back pain (cLBP).
The FDA approved treatment is ‘EaseVRx’, a solution that distributes VR headsets to patients with preloaded immersive therapy experiences so they can treat and manage cLBP.
Van Nuys-based digital healthcare firm ‘Applied VR’ designed EaseVRx as part of its company-wide vision of using VR hardware to deliver therapeutic experiences and treatments directly to individuals at-home.
EaseVRx is a prescription-based VR treatment where patients take part in an eight-week course to reduce pains with self-administered, skills-based training exercises and treatments.
Included in the treatment package is educational courses, breathing exercises, ‘relaxation-response’ exercises, and immersive games.
Individuals with cLBP enter the EaseVRx immersive environment and navigate it to find context-sensitive buttons that educate patients about their symptoms “such as the role of pain in the brain” said Beth Darnall, PhD, Chief Science Adviser and Co-Creator of the EaseVRx in a statement to Healthline.
Darnell added that by receiving on demand VR-based cLBP treatment is “transcending so many barriers to effective pain care.”
Additionally, Darnell explained that the FDA approval is “really exciting. It [EaseVRx] is a breakthrough device, it’s also a breakthrough in terms of how we’re conceptualizing pain and pain treatment.”
Applied VR Therapeutic Solutions
The Californian firm developed EaseVRx as a trustworthy solution based of clinical trials as well as extensive research and development (R&D) to provide patients with an evidence-based VR treatment.
To receive FDA approval, Applied VR conducted a series of randomized, double-blinded clinical study made up of 179 participants.
The trials concluded that “66 percent of EaseVRx participants reported a greater than 30 percent reduction in pain.”
In a series of pivotal RCT trials by Applied VR participates reported reduced rates of pain intensity by 42 percent as well as reduced rates of pain interfering with their sleep and stress – by 52 percent and 57 percent respectively.
In a press release, Josh Sackman, Co-Founder and President, AppliedVR, said that the Californian firm worked “tirelessly” to secure the clinical evidence required to “achieve this important milestone.”
Sackman added that Applied VR is looking towards the future by “continuing research that validates our efficacy and cost-effectiveness for treating chronic pain and other indications.”
VR for Healthcare and Wellness
Interest in VR healthcare and wellness solutions is rising, most recently HTC announced ‘Flow’ a mobile VR headset made to improve a users mental wellness.
Speakers at this year’s Unity for Humanity Summit, hosted a discussion real-time 3D (RT3D) VR content and how it can improve mental health.
During the session, speakers explained how VR-based narrative therapy can help individuals improve their mental wellbeing by using VR to recreate stressful events.
On top of this, VR-based wellness firms such as Tripp are using augmented reality (AR) smart glasses to distribute meditative applications.
Over the past two years, the Covid-19 Pandemic brought VR to the forefront as a way for healthcare firms to reach many individuals at-home, notably isolated patients.
Boston-based mixed reality (MR) firm VRHealth brought healthcare into the home by creating an immersive VR telehealth clinic that patients can visit by using a VR headset.
Despite the pandemic waning healthcare firms are still investing in remote guidance and treatment solutions as a way to improve the quality of life for socially isolated individuals.
US VR firm Rendever is teaming up with Craven-Pamlico Regional Libraries in eastern North Carolina to deploy VR solution to combat post-COVID-19 social isolation.
Additionally, the wellness firm is deploying VR headsets with pre-loaded content to improve fitness at selected senior living communities.
