Mobile Devices As Adjunctive Pain Management Tools

Overview

Journal Cyberpsychol Behav Soc Netw

Specialty Psychology

Date 2014 Jun 4

PMID 24892202

Citations 6

Authors

Brenda K Wiederhold

Kenneth Gao

Lingjun Kong

Mark D Wiederhold

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Approximately 108 million people in North America and Europe suffer from chronic pain. Virtual reality (VR) is a promising method for pain management in a clinical setting due to the distracting properties of an immersive virtual environment. In this study, we demonstrated the potential use of mobile phones as a means of delivering an easily accessible, immersive experience. Thirty-one patients tested VR pain distraction. Objective measurements of heart rate correlated to decreased anxiety, while, subjectively, patients also reported reduced levels of discomfort. The positive results of this study indicate that mobile phones can provide an immersive experience sufficient to deliver pain management distraction. Because mobile devices are widely available, the potential for developing pain management programs that are accessible has become a realistic possibility.

Citing Articles

Virtual Reality Interventions and Chronic Pain: Scoping Review.

Ding M, Traiba H, Perez H J Med Internet Res. 2025; 27:e59922.

PMID: 39965778 PMC: 11888090. DOI: 10.2196/59922.

Sleep hygiene strategies for individuals with chronic pain: a scoping review.

Gupta C, Sprajcer M, Johnston-Devin C, Ferguson S BMJ Open. 2023; 13(2):e060401.

PMID: 36731933 PMC: 9896248. DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-060401.

Virtual Reality Applications in Chronic Pain Management: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Goudman L, Jansen J, Billot M, Vets N, De Smedt A, Roulaud M JMIR Serious Games. 2022; 10(2):e34402.

PMID: 35536641 PMC: 9131143. DOI: 10.2196/34402.

The Effect of Virtual Reality on Pain and Anxiety During Colonoscopy: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Karaveli Cakir S, Evirgen S Turk J Gastroenterol. 2021; 32(5):451-457.

PMID: 34231475 PMC: 8975482. DOI: 10.5152/tjg.2021.191081.

Ethical Challenges of Using Virtual Environments in the Assessment and Treatment of Psychopathological Disorders.

Parsons T J Clin Med. 2021; 10(3).

PMID: 33498255 PMC: 7863955. DOI: 10.3390/jcm10030378.

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