VR Gaming Found to Reduce Pain and Lower Anxiety in Children

Distraction has been shown to be a powerful tool for addressing pain and anxiety. When immersive media is added to the mix, its power becomes exponentially amplified.

In this controlled trial, 72 children (33 girls and 39 boys) were tested and found to have a highly correlated, statistically significant reduction in pain and anxiety compared to the control group.

“VR Gaming showed a greater absolute change in both pain threshold and anxiety compared with VR Video, possibly reflecting both a modulation of pain perception and distraction due to the interactivity of the game.”

These interventions are key to reducing the needs for opioids and ultimately making surgical and postoperative management safer for children. For more information on this great study, please follow the link. 

Pedersen, L. K., Fisker, L. Y. V., Rölfing, J. D., Ahlburg, P., Veien, M., Vase, L., & Møller‐Madsen, B. (2023, March 13). Virtual reality increases pressure pain threshold and lowers anxiety in children compared with control and non‐immersive control—A randomized, crossover trial. European Journal of Pain, 27(7), 805–815. https://doi.org/10.1002/ejp.2108