AppliedVR, an immersive therapeutics provider, has announced new findings that supported the use of home-based virtual reality (VR) devices for chronic pain patients.
The results were announced from a secondary analysis of a large randomised controlled trial (RCT).
The study, involving more than 1,000 participants, evaluated how VR therapy for chronic low back pain (CLBP) impacts patients with high-impact chronic pain (HICP).
Researchers focused on whether HICP patients, who experience significant activity restrictions, experienced more pain relief compared to those with lower-impact chronic pain (LICP) patients.
The findings showed that AppliedVR’s US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-authorised RelieVRx device delivered clinically effective results for both HICP and LICP patients.
HICP patients experienced greater reductions in pain interference and intensity. In addition, 70% of HICP patients were classified as LICP at the end of treatment, with 67% maintaining this status 12 months post-treatment.
According to AppliedVR, these findings are crucial for both payers and providers. HICP patients are often more costly to treat, experiencing severe pain, mental health issues, cognitive impairments, and difficulties with self-care.
For payers aiming to reduce healthcare costs, the study suggests that RelieVRx may help lower healthcare utilisation and economic burdens. For providers, VR therapy could be a more effective option for patients with the most severe chronic pain, the immersive therapeutics provider said.
AppliedVR co-founder and CEO Matthew Stoudt said: “Among the mountain of clinical evidence we’ve gathered over the years, these findings definitely represent some of the most important.
“Pain providers will tell you that HICP patients are often the most difficult to treat.
“So for researchers to find evidence that RelieVRx may be positively affecting that group of patients is a strong indicator that we can both improve the quality of life for patients and potentially reduce the total cost of care associated with those patients.”
The RelieVRx programme is an adjunctive pain management solution based on evidence-based principles for treating CLBP.
It is said to be the first FDA-authorised VR therapy for CLBP and has been shown to promote neuroplasticity, helping patients develop long-term pain management skills.
This research builds on a previous secondary analysis of the original RCT conducted by AppliedVR. The prior study found that RelieVRx’s clinical effects were consistent across sociodemographic groups.
In the primary analysis, researchers discovered that the RelieVRx device led to clinically meaningful reductions in pain intensity and interference in diverse adults with severe CLBP.
