Episode
The Sunday Read: ‘Can Virtual Reality Help Ease Chronic Pain?’
45:00
Published: Sun May 22 2022
Description
Chronic pain is one of the leading causes of long-term disability in the world. By some measures, 50 million Americans live with chronic pain, in part because the power of medicine to relieve it remains inadequate.Helen Ouyang, a physician and contributing writer for The New York Times Magazine, explores the potentially groundbreaking use of virtual reality in the alleviation of acute pain, as well as anxiety and depression, and meets the doctors and entrepreneurs who believe this “nonpharmacological therapy” is a good alternative to prescription drugs.A lush forest, a snow-capped mountain, a desert at sunset — could these virtual experiences really be the answer for managing chronic pain?This story was written by Helen Ouyang and recorded by Audm. To hear more audio stories from publications like The New York Times, download Audm for iPhone or Android.
Chapters
Learn about how Virtual Reality is being used as an innovative treatment for chronic pain, which impacts around 50 million Americans.
00:00 - 06:19 (06:19)
Summary
Learn about how Virtual Reality is being used as an innovative treatment for chronic pain, which impacts around 50 million Americans.
EpisodeThe Sunday Read: ‘Can Virtual Reality Help Ease Chronic Pain?’
PodcastThe Daily
The nervous system can lead to chronic pain, and the brain has some control over pain, according to studies.
06:19 - 17:12 (10:53)
Summary
The nervous system can lead to chronic pain, and the brain has some control over pain, according to studies. Acute pain from tissue damage is not the same as chronic pain; the latter is now considered a distinct disease.
EpisodeThe Sunday Read: ‘Can Virtual Reality Help Ease Chronic Pain?’
PodcastThe Daily
Researchers have developed virtual reality therapy for chronic back pain, with results showing a significant reduction in pain compared to control groups, and the FDA has now given applied VR authorization to market the therapy for chronic lower back pain due to minimal side effects compared to pharmaceuticals.
17:12 - 28:23 (11:10)
Summary
Researchers have developed virtual reality therapy for chronic back pain, with results showing a significant reduction in pain compared to control groups, and the FDA has now given applied VR authorization to market the therapy for chronic lower back pain due to minimal side effects compared to pharmaceuticals.
EpisodeThe Sunday Read: ‘Can Virtual Reality Help Ease Chronic Pain?’
PodcastThe Daily
Karuna, a new form of virtual-reality-based treatment, is an extension of the mirror therapy invented in the 1990s to treat phantom limb pain, and has been found to provide relief across many types of chronic pain after patients use the program for three months accompanied by a pain coach.
28:23 - 36:29 (08:06)
Summary
Karuna, a new form of virtual-reality-based treatment, is an extension of the mirror therapy invented in the 1990s to treat phantom limb pain, and has been found to provide relief across many types of chronic pain after patients use the program for three months accompanied by a pain coach.
EpisodeThe Sunday Read: ‘Can Virtual Reality Help Ease Chronic Pain?’
PodcastThe Daily
Researchers are exploring the possibilities of virtual reality to help relieve chronic pain by creating new neural connections that eventually help repair the dysfunctional parts of their brains.
36:29 - 43:39 (07:09)
Summary
Researchers are exploring the possibilities of virtual reality to help relieve chronic pain by creating new neural connections that eventually help repair the dysfunctional parts of their brains. However, chronic pain patients still face stigma and restrictions in response to the opioid epidemic, making virtual reality not a replacement for medication but an additional tool for pain management.
EpisodeThe Sunday Read: ‘Can Virtual Reality Help Ease Chronic Pain?’
PodcastThe Daily
A man with chronic back pain suggested trying virtual reality (VR) for pain relief, which is increasingly being recognized as a new solution for chronic pain, although slow adoption by healthcare providers due to its newness.
43:39 - 44:42 (01:02)
Summary
A man with chronic back pain suggested trying virtual reality (VR) for pain relief, which is increasingly being recognized as a new solution for chronic pain, although slow adoption by healthcare providers due to its newness.