Low back pain is the leading cause of years lived with disability with a large impact on quality of life and resistant to a broad array of current treatments. This study aims to investigate the effect of a novel self-administered behavioural therapy-based Virtual Reality (VR) application on quality of life of patients with non-specific chronic low back pain (CLBP).
A pilot randomised controlled trial was conducted in adults with non-specific CLBP with moderate to severe pain, waiting for treatment in a teaching hospital-based pain clinic. The intervention group used a self-administered behavioural therapy-based VR application for at least 10 minutes daily for four weeks. The control group received standard care. Primary outcome was quality of life at four weeks measured by the Short Form-12(SF-12) physical and mental scores. Secondary outcomes were daily worst and least pain, pain coping strategies, activities of daily living, positive health and anxiety, and depression. Discontinuation of therapy and adverse events were analysed as well.
41 patients were included. One patient withdrew due to personal reasons. No significant treatment effect was found for the SF-12 physical score (mean difference 2.6 points; 95% CI -5.60 – 0.48) and mental score (-1.75;-6.04 – 2.53) at four weeks. There was a significant treatment effect for daily ‘worst pain score’ (F(1, 91.425)=33.3, P<0.001) and 'least pain score' (F(1, 30.069)=11.5, P=0.002). Three patients reported mild and temporary dizziness.
Four weeks of self-administered VR for CLBP does not improve quality of life, however it may positively affect daily pain experience.
Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.
