Rehabilitation Reimagined : The power of Virtual Reality in Therapy

Immersive Virtual Reality (IVR or VR) as a tool in rehabilitation is changing at pace and has far reaching consequences that will increasingly be seen in the claims space.

Combined with AI powered treatment planning and smart home devices for daily rehabilitation, innovative technologies are now evident in all aspects of rehabilitation.  

A recent study reported in the American Journal of Prosthetics and Orthotics found that for those with traumatic upper-limb amputation, VR rehabilitation can benefit functional learning as well as help from an emotional and motivational level. Mirror therapy in hand and upper limb amputation rehabilitation is quite standard and we know how effective it can be, but VR is a more impactful extension of that concept.

VR in rehabilitation goes well beyond just amputation cases. As long ago as 2021 VR therapy was being used in neurorehabilitation and found to improve neuronal plasticity and enhance cognitive performance. Numerous studies report positive outcomes since then.

We can expect to see more recommendations for VR in catastrophic injury cases as VR is considered one of the standout rehabilitation technology trends in 2024. In addition, global robotics rehab sales are expected to grow to $1billion by 2030 and don’t just include the top end items such as exoskeletons.

There is a distinction between non-immersive virtual reality where the TV, computer or smart phone is interacted with via keyboards etc., and fully immersive virtual reality where the person has the feeling of presence in that world via head mounted display, bodysuit, data gloves or an immersive room. Augmented reality is where some components are overlaid on physical objects in a real-world environment such as smart glasses, for example.

The use of VR can provide a safe and realistic environment for someone with a brain injury to work on skills such as driving or cooking and give people the confidence to try these things without real world consequences. They can also attempt or repeat them numerous times with ease. Balance, coordination and cognition all improve, and studies have shown that patients who use VR in rehabilitation tend to actually enjoy it and are therefore more committed to their therapy and so achieve better outcomes. We know that the more engaged a person is the more benefit they will gain from therapies.

The same safe VR environment has been used to help those with serious psychiatric difficulties where the real-world version would cause distress or simply not be possible. It provides an environment in which fears can be confronted.

The benefits of VR are not just physical. The emotional rehabilitation facilitated by VR adds to psychological recovery and increased confidence. For those with significant pain, the immersive nature of the experience can be an effective form of distraction. A study involving children with burn injuries found that they reported lower pain and discomfort scores following VR based therapy.

As these technologies evolve and disseminate, the cost comes down. The VR solution is, by its nature, portable and requires little by way of facilities, which is one of the reasons it is already embedded within rehabilitation solutions. Importantly it can be implemented in people’s homes. The NHS is already engaging with VR, not only for therapies but in training medical professionals in treating patients with fibromyalgia and chronic pain by using VR headset.

As ever, rehabilitation is person specific and where VR rehab is proposed in our cases will need to consider the cost benefit analysis in each. There are some groups of people who have been found to use it better, for example those who have grown up “gaming” and like the addictive quality. It still has universal applicability however and we can only expect to see not only more VR based rehabilitation recommendations in catastrophic injury cases, but the improved outcomes these therapies bring about.