Skip to content

Exploring the Feasibility of Using Virtual Reality as an Educational Tool in Chronic Pain Rehabilitation

Not yet recruitingNot applicableNCT07434804
View the official record on ClinicalTrials.gov

Recruiting status changes often. Contact the study team listed on ClinicalTrials.gov, and talk to your doctor before joining a study.

This study has no listed site in Canada in this snapshot. It is included as part of the worldwide chronic pain corpus.

Brief summary (from the registry)

Introduction: Chronic pain significantly impacts quality of life and requires comprehensive management strategies. Traditional pain education programs are beneficial but often require significant and prolonged patient engagement. Virtual reality (VR) offers a novel approach by creating immersive environments that may enhance the effectiveness of pain education. This protocol outlines a feasibility study to investigate the use of a Virtual Reality (VR) pain education program for people living with chronic pain (PwCP). Aim of the investigation: To evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of delivering a VR pain education program for PwCP. The secondary aim will explore the pre-to-post-test changes in clinical outcomes as proof of concept for a future larger scale investigation. Methods: We will use Reality Health™ as the VR tool to deliver pain science education. The study will be conducted as a single-arm feasibility study using a pretest:posttest design. Fifty PwCP will engage in the six-week Reality Health™ programme. This education programme focuses on the neurophysiology of pain, pain modulation techniques, cognitive-behavioural strategies and guided virtual exercises. Results: Primary outcome measures will include the feasibility, acceptability and safety of Reality Health™ including recruitment, retention, intervention adherence and attrition rates. Secondary outcomes will explore the pre-to-post-test changes in outcome measures relating to pain intensity, pain interference, pain self-efficacy, pain self catastrophizing, quality of life and depression as proof of concept for a future larger scale investigation. Conclusions: Results will establish the feasibility, acceptability and safety of using Reality Health™ in the treatment of chronic pain, informing a future randomised control trial. Ethical approval: Ethics has been granted from University College Dublin's Human Research Ethics Board (HREC-LS-25-868587). Acknowledgements: This work is funded through th…

Study details

Official title
Exploring the Feasibility of Using Virtual Reality as an Educational Tool in Chronic Pain Rehabilitation
Conditions
Interventions
  • Other: 6-Week Virtual reality-delivered pain science education and behavioural pain management program
Sponsor
University College Dublin
Collaborators
Interreg; University College Cork
Start date
2026-02-20
Primary completion
2026-12-31
Sex
All
Age range
from 18 Years
Results posted
No results posted in this snapshot
Countries
Ireland
Total sites listed
1

Eligibility criteria

Show eligibility criteria (verbatim from the registry)
Inclusion Criteria: * ≥18 years old * Diagnosed with chronic pain by a consultant in pain medicine or a general practitioner with any type of chronic pain for at least 3 months * Report a pain intensity of \>3 on a Numerical Rating Scale * Be proficient in written and spoken English Exclusion Criteria: * Not able to provide informed consent * Scheduled for surgical treatment related to their pain condition within the next 6 months * Have a medical/psychiatric condition that would prevent engagement in the pain education programme

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov (US National Library of Medicine), snapshot October 2026. Check the registry for current recruiting status. Record: https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT07434804