AppliedVR continues to build out clinical evidence to support the use of immersive therapeutics to address chronic pain.
The company’s flagship virtual reality device for chronic lower back pain delivered meaningful reductions in pain intensity for patients, particularly for high-impact chronic pain patients, according to a recent clinical study.
A secondary analysis of a large randomized controlled trial evaluated how AppliedVR’s VR therapy to treat chronic low back pain at home affected patients who experience pain more intensely. Researchers sought to determine whether the therapy could produce greater levels of pain relief for high-impact chronic pain patients, or individuals with chronic pain that is accompanied by at least one major activity restriction, such as being unable to work outside the home, go to school or do household chores.
These patients are often the most difficult and costly to treat. This patient population is more likely to report severe pain, more mental health and cognitive impairments, worsening health and more difficulty with self-care.
“High-impact chronic pain patients represent roughly 25% of the entire chronic pain population. But because they are high impact, they consume a lot more of the resources and can be much more challenging,” AppliedVR co-founder and CEO Matthew Stoudt said in an interview. “They tend to use significantly higher doses of opioids compared to those with less severe chronic pain, and they have about five times the hospital use.”
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