Effectiveness and adverse effects of immersive technologies used for rehabilitation of patients with non-specific neck pain: a systematic review.

Only 5 randomized trials with 203 participants were included, so the evidence base is small. The trials were very heterogeneous in age, sex mix, pain duration, VR dose, number of sessions, overall treatment length and co-interventions. VR was often combined with exercise or hot-pack therapy, so the contribution of any single component cannot be separated. Risk of bias was concerning for performance and other domains, and patients and care providers were not blinded. Baseline characteristics, comorbidities, behavioural factors and environmental factors were poorly reported, so generalizability is hard to judge. Adverse events were not reported with enough detail to judge safety. The review protocol was altered after registration by adding an author and removing a section on diagnosis. Three of the 5 studies did not assess the validity of outcome variables, and some statistical analyses were not performed correctly. No included study measured patient acceptability, engagement or motivation.

The supplied text reports funding from the Medical University of Lodz and no other conflict-of-interest declaration.

Do not conclude that immersive VR is effective or safe for non-specific neck pain. The trials were small and heterogeneous, often combined VR with exercise or hot-pack therapy, and pain and function results did not consistently show VR advantage. Adverse events were also poorly reported.