With as many as one in five Australians experiencing chronic pain, researchers are constantly searching for new and innovative ways to manage symptoms. The University of South Australia is using VR (virtual reality) to allow chronic pain sufferers to ‘swap’ their body with that of a superhero in a bid to persuade their brain that their body is invincible.
How can VR manage chronic pain?
Leading researcher, Dr Daniel Harvie believes that by combining brain science with virtual reality, the nervous system can be convinced that the body is healed and no longer experiencing pain. Dr Harvie, the 2023 South Australian Young Tall Poppy, says;
“Pain is usually triggered by an injury, but in some people, it hangs around even after the body is healed. Now, instead of just treating the site of pain in your body, we know that we may also need to re-train the nervous system.”
Dubbed ‘Superhero Therapy’, chronic pain patients can ‘swap’ their body for a superhero, such as The Incredible Hulk, whilst wearing a VR headset. The participants, who normally feel weak and debilitated by their pain are experiencing a drop in symptoms when they enter the digital world and experience it in a seemingly strong and agile body.
“The visual synchronisation of virtual and real bodies triggers an update of the users’ brain-held representations: from those aligned with injury (which are pain promoting) to those consistent with a resilient body (which are pain suppressing). Remarkably, people feel immediately stronger, agile, and more resilient.”, says Dr Harvie.
Research is ongoing, but initial results show that when people enter the VR world, their mind is immediately taken off their symptoms and their pain tends to drop.
“We are at a historical juncture in the way pain is managed,” Dr Harvie says.
“Virtual reality is an amazing, brain-targeting, perception-altering tool that can be used to train the nervous system and address some of the challenges for people with chronic pain.
I really think it won’t be too long before we see VR in physio and occupational therapy clinics as a core part of every management of people with pain.”
Can Virtual Reality be used for other health conditions?
Across the globe, VR is being trialled for a variety of purposes including anxiety, Parkinson’s, pain management for burns, patients undergoing rehabilitation, and even to assist with eating disorders. In a world where prescription medication addiction is a real problem, the use of technology such as VR could be a real breakthrough.
The South Australian study is not the first when it comes to pain management. There have been really promising results from trials conducted in the US, where patients underwent medical procedures with either VR or traditional pain management methods and those who used the VR option had a positive experience.
Check out the video below to see more about Dr Harvie’s study.
The possibilities of how virtual reality can be used are endless. We’re looking forward to seeing how this technology might be able to help people recover from various health conditions and improve their quality of life.
Elite Performance Testing for the Everyday Athlete
In an Australian first, Elite NRL Strength & Conditioning Coach, Aaron Sculli is bringing performance testing to the masses. Whether you are training for a sport, looking to optimise your performance in the gym, or looking to understand your injury risk profile, this ground breaking lab will give you an insight to up your game.
Are these the fitness classes of the future?
What happens when you ask AI to invent a new type of never-before-seen fitness class? National leading gym chain Genesis Health + Fitness decided to put the robots to the test and see what new concepts they could create. The results? An interesting selection of inspired and futuristic ideas with varying degrees of practicality and
How Can Altitude Training Help Increase Fat Burning, Reduce Insulin & Improve Fitness?
Simulated altitude training continues to grow rapidly in Australia as a value-adding service to members or clients in all types of gyms, studios and fitness and performance centres. What are the advantages of training in a simulated altitude environment? Altitude training is not only for elite sports performance, but offers benefits for everyday health and
Strategies for Attracting Gen Z to Your Fitness Business
When it comes to fitness, there are so many options out there – it’s a great thing for consumers as there’s bound to be a flavour everyone enjoys. This smorgasbord of choice, however, can make retention harder than ever for fitness business owners because there’s always a bright shiny object calling your members away. In
The Fitness Franchise with Low Overheads and High Temps
There’s never been more choices available than there are today, when it comes to owning a fitness franchise and finding a brand that aligns with your interests and values. And just when we thought we had every kind of fitness offering covered, we were introduced to J.I.M, the lovechild resulting from the combination of a
Get Your Group Exercise Classes Covered With The Cover Me App
CoverMe Fitness, the innovative studio management app for the fitness industry, launches this month in Australia, with industry veteran Tony Zonato leading the rollout as Managing Director for the region. The Cover Me app is set to change the landscape of casual group exercise instructors by creating a pool of available and qualified instructors for