Pain relief a virtual reality

Pain relief a virtual reality

21 Apr 2022

A research trial featuring a little dog on a mission is under way at St Vincent’s, thanks to a collaboration with University of NSW School of Art, Design & Architecture and St Vincent’s Pain Medicine team. 

Using a 3D Visualisation game, Finding Home, is designed to build an attachment between the user and the dog, while overcoming the challenges the game presents in making sure the little dog finds his way home. It is hoped that by providing a distraction, patients will learn to become less reliant on opiates to overcome their pain. 

 “You’re investing in the [dog’s] character, rather than just investing in yourself, which moves you away from the internalisation of pain”, says Director of the 3D Visualisation Aesthetics Lab at UNSW Sydney, Scientia Associate Professor John McGhee, a lead researcher on the project.

Funded by the St Vincent’s Curran Foundation and Samsung, the prototype is currently being tested through in Sacred Heart Rehabilitation Department.

Using research and published evidence to guide the program's design was also a key focus of the team. As a result, computer animation artists, virtual reality/gaming designers, psychologists, and pain specialists have co-designed the Virtual Reality game. 

“There have been lots of lessons learned in past research about the types of imagery, visual and audio stimulation that can help people experiencing pain,” says Dr Christine Shiner, St Vincent’s Senior Researcher on the project. “This research helped inform the design of the program, to make it more than just a ‘game’.”

 “Reliance on medication alone makes people feel passive in their pain management. By contrast, studies engaging with virtual reality have shown that it can decrease anxiety and distress, thereby helping to control pain levels”, says Prof Steven Faux, St Vincent’s Director Pain Medicine.

“Sometimes, you just feel stressed and uncomfortable, and the only thing you can do is take an opiate, which is not always the right thing to do. A/Prof McGhee and I have worked on technologies to give them an alternative.”

 “Our initial results with the prototype have been very positive. If the trial shows marginal improvements, it’s a win-win. As a non-pharmacological intervention, the game has multiple advantages: the less reliant on medication the patient is, the better the long-term outcomes”, said Prof Faux.