The Influence of Virtual Reality Exposure on Pain Perception and Movement Confidence in Patients with Chronic Lower Back Pain
VR Impact on Pain and Confidence in CLBP
Keywords:
Back Pain, Exercise, Physical Therapy, Virtual RealityAbstract
Background: Chronic lower back pain (CLBP) remains one of the leading causes of disability worldwide, with traditional physical therapy approaches showing variable outcomes. Virtual reality (VR) technology has emerged as a potential adjunct to conventional physical therapy, but its specific effects on pain perception and movement confidence in CLBP patients remain underexplored. This study investigates the relationship between VR-assisted physical therapy and patient-reported outcomes in adults with CLBP.
Methods: This single-randomized controlled trial included 147 young adults (ages 18-35) with moderate to severe CLBP (>6 months) receiving out-patient physical therapy. Participants were divided randomly by the simple random sampling method into two groups: those receiving standard physical therapy (SPT, n=78) and those receiving identical exercises augmented with VR visualization techniques (VR-PT, n=69). Outcomes measured at baseline, 6 weeks, and 12 weeks included the Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS), Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia (TSK), Patient-Specific Functional Scale (PSFS), and daily physical activity levels measured by wearable accelerometers.
Results: At 12 weeks, the VR-PT group demonstrated significantly more significant reductions in pain intensity (mean difference -1.7 points on NPRS, p<0.001) and kinesiophobia (mean difference -5.4 points on TSK, p<0.001) compared to the SPT group. The VR-PT group also showed significantly more significant improvements in functional capacity (mean difference +2.1 points on PSFS, p<0.001).
Conclusion: VR-augmented physical therapy appears to significantly enhance pain reduction, decrease movement-related fear, and improve functional outcomes in patients with CLBP compared to standard physical therapy alone.
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