Professional development and education
Janet Poole, PhD, OT, FAOTA
University of New Mexico
Albuquerque, NM, United States
Disclosure(s): No financial relationships with ineligible companies to disclose
Evidence suggests that virtual reality (VR) is an excellent adjunctive therapeutic modality to address pain. In this session, we will provide a basic overview of immersive VR, what it is (and is not), types of VR and types of equipment. We will also review mechanisms by which VR can affect pain and how these mechanism inform clinical choices. These will include 1) using VR as a distraction, 2) using VR ability to create and manipulate a person’s perception of themselves (embodiment), 3) using VR as a method to increase physical activity and 4) using VR to enhance other effective treatments such as mindfulness and meditation. Finally, we will review results from our own research on the feasibility and methods of including VR in clinical treatment for rheumatic pain and provide suggestions for the use of VR in practice.
Speaker: Nancy Baker, OT, MPH, ScD – Tufts University
