Virtual reality gives many long-term care residents the ability to “visit” exotic destinations. Soon, it also may allow them to put chronic pain at bay.
When paired with a stationary bike system, VR not only made users more enthusiastic about exercising, but it also helped reduce stress from chronic pain, a new study found.
Study participants who used the VR bike system exercised for 15% longer and signaled more enjoyment compared with a standard fitness bike routine, the researchers found. They added that the novelty of the VR system helped distract users from their chronic pain conditions.
Approximately 30% of older adults in America experience chronic pain, recent data show, with the most common symptom being persistent arthritis. While chronic pain isn’t directly life threatening, it can lead to several cascading problems, including difficulty carrying out daily physical activities.
Unfortunately, Medicare beneficiaries often get delayed treatment for chronic pain, according to a federal survey from last year, and nursing home residents also are undertreated for pain symptoms, researchers say.
Importantly, the VR bike, which took users around a virtual countryside setting, didn’t just distract them from their pain; even low-impact exercise improves joint function and mobility, as well as overall mood, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Although the VR bike system isn’t part of a commercially available product at the moment, many senior living communities now have fitness centers, and some, such as Blakeford Senior Life’s Nashville, TN, campus, have created “smart” gyms that merge fitness and technology.
VR also is being used for more purposes beyond entertainment; VR healthcare startups are working on the concept of virtual treatment rooms where older adults with chronic pain could “visit” to work on physical therapy, the McKnight’s Tech Daily reported recently.
The VR bike study was conducted by researchers at the University of South Australia in Adelaide.
