Effectiveness of Virtual Reality (VR) in Non-oncologic Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain

Brief summary (from the registry)

Treatment options for chronic non-oncologic musculoskeletal pain are varied and include both pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions, such as physical activity and psychotherapy. In clinical practice, the prevalent approach is pharmacological, based mainly on the use of pain modulators, such as antidepressants, cannabinoids and anti-epileptics, and on the use of traditional painkillers such as NSAIDs and opioids. In particular, the latter are still widely prescribed in clinical practice. Initially very effective in combating fibromyalgia pain, opioids, when taken chronically, lead to the development of tolerance with the need for the patient to gradually increase the dosage or switch to more powerful active drugs to obtain the same effect. In the face of fleeting and limited benefits, the risk, therefore, is that of falling back into a framework of abuse with consequent negative impact on both health and social status. In this context, the non-pharmacological approach plays a role of primary importance. In particular, exercise is currently recommended as one of the most effective management strategies. However, the implementation of exercise as a treatment for chronic pain is significantly hampered by poor patient compliance. Another non-pharmacological strategy is biofeedback (BF); however, although existing data support the use of BF, in clinical practice the results obtained have not supported expectations. A solution to these limitations could come from virtual reality (VR), an innovative method capable of simulating real-world situations and cognitive and motor tasks in a safe and stimulating environment, making the completion of activities rewarding and benefiting all those patients who need motor rehabilitation or musculoskeletal pain management. This is a single-center interventional randomized device-controlled study, with two study arms: * The treatment group: subjected to 5 days of VR experience and subsequently monitored using questionnaire…

Study details

Official title

Effectiveness of Virtual Reality (VR) in Non-oncologic Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain: a Randomized Controlled Trial in Fibromyalgia

Conditions

• Musculoskeletal Pain
• Fibromyalgia, Primary

Interventions

• Device: software

Sponsor

Azienda Sanitaria-Universitaria Integrata di Udine

Collaborators

University of Udine

Start date

2023-10-25

Primary completion

2023-12-01

Sex

All

Age range

from 18 Years to 50 Years

Results posted

No results posted in this snapshot

Countries

Italy

Total sites listed

1

Eligibility criteria