Use of Virtual Reality in Interdisciplinary Multimodal Pain Treatment With Insights From Health Care Professionals and Patients: Action Research Study.

This is a qualitative action research study of experiences and process, not a controlled test of whether VR reduces pain or improves function. The sample was small and selected by convenience: 7 health care professionals and 22 patients, with only 10 patients interviewed. Participating professionals were likely already open to VR, and the researchers did not assess how they chose patients, so selection bias is probable. VR was embedded in ongoing multimodal pain treatment, so any reported experience cannot be attributed to VR alone. All patients were reported to have sufficient digital skills. This sample does not show what happens for patients with limited skills, especially for home use. Safety issues were noted, including dizziness or nausea in two patients and insufficient hand strength in two patients, and severe balance issues were added as an exclusion during the study.

The authors declared no conflicts of interest. No funding source is stated in the supplied text.

Do not conclude that VR reduces pain or improves function. This action research study reports how clinicians and patients experienced VR added to ongoing multimodal pain treatment; it did not test VR as a stand-alone intervention, and the effect of VR alone cannot be separated from the other treatments.