Virtual Reality Facilitated Exercise Increases Sympathetic Activity and Reduces Pain Perception: A Randomized Crossover Study.

Autor: Rodriguez ST, Makarewicz N, Wang EY, Zuniga-Hernandez M; Stanford Chariot Program, Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford, Palo Alto, CA, USA., Titzler J; Stanford Chariot Program, Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford, Palo Alto, CA, USA., Jackson C; Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative, and Pain Medicine, Division of Pediatric Anesthesiology, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA., Suen MY; Stanford Chariot Program, Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford, Palo Alto, CA, USA., Rosales O; Stanford University Graduate School of Education, Stanford, CA, USA., Caruso TJ
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitation [Am J Phys Med Rehabil] 2024 Jun 06. Date of Electronic Publication: 2024 Jun 06.
DOI: 10.1097/PHM.0000000000002550
Abstrakt: Objective: Both virtual reality (VR) and exercise reduce pain while avoiding the risks of traditional pharmacotherapy. The aim of this study was to assess how VR-facilitated exercise modulates sympathetic activity and pain perception.
Design: Healthy adult volunteers were randomized by hand dominance and then subjected to a standardized cold pressor test while experiencing a VR application. After a 5-minute washout, participants were crossed-over and repeated the test on their other hand while undergoing a VR-facilitated exercise application. Sympathetic activation, pain sensation, and pain tolerance data were collected identically during both conditions.
Results: 110 participants were analyzed. Sympathetic activity increased in both conditions but was higher in the VR-facilitated exercise condition (p < 0.0001). Pain sensation scores were initially higher with VR-facilitated exercise but dropped below the VR-only condition by the end of the intervention (p = 0.0175). There were no differences in pain tolerance between conditions (p = 0.18).
Conclusion: The decrease in pain perception with VR-facilitated exercise condition compared to VR alone indicates VR-facilitated exercise can be a useful tool for managing pain. Though this effect did not translate into higher pain tolerance, VR-facilitated exercise may be a useful intervention in the setting of physical therapy or for patients with chronic pain.
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Databáze: MEDLINE