Managing chronic pain with virtual reality

Virtual reality technology may help some injured workers manage chronic pain. (Photo: Shutterstock)

Wearable technology has come a long way from basic pedometers to count steps. It now encompasses such devices as Fitbits or even apps on the smartphone you carry in your pocket. The technology is expanding to prosthetics and rehabilitative devices like the “Smart Glove,” which is used patients who have musculoskeletal injuries or are recovering from a stroke. Now, virtual reality technology (VR) may provide some improvements in treating workplace injuries.

In a new partnership to test digital tools in the treatment of acute orthopedic injuries, the Travelers Companies, Inc., announced on March 6 that it’s collaborating with Cedars-Sinai, Samsung Electronics America, Bayer and appliedVR. According to the announcement, the partnership will explore the effectiveness of a digital pain-reduction kit that uses therapeutic VR and wearable technology as a “non-pharmacological supplement to managing pain associated with acute orthopedic injuries of the lower back and extremities.”