Helping patients for over 2 decades
Helping patients for over 2 decades
Results of a new pilot study indicate that a combination treatment approach using cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and immersive virtual reality environments (VRE) produced significant functional improvement in autistic adults with phobias and anxiety.
https://healthmanagement.org/c/healthmanagement/issuearticle/virtual-reality-clinic-a-case-study
How has VR developed and what potential does it have for future healthcare?
In the 1990s, there were no resources dedicated to virtual reality (VR) and behavioural healthcare – no journals, no clinics, no conferences, no training programmes and only few advanced technologies. Today, we find ourselves in the midst of a new exciting and challenging era of technology-enhanced behavioural healthcare…
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/new-randomized-double-blind-clinical-study-shows-oska-pulse-significantly-reduces-pain-300594128.html
CARLSBAD, Calif., Feb. 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ — Oska Wellness, a technology company committed to developing consumer health and wellness products, has released the results of a randomized double-blind placebo study showing significant results in pain reduction by using Oska Pulse.
The clinical trial was completed at the Virtual Reality Medical Center, Scripps Memorial Hospital, in La Jolla, Californiaand conducted by a respected team of doctors: Dr. Joseph Shurman, Dr. Brenda K. Wiederhold, Dr. Roger Kasendorf, Dr. John Qian, and Dr. Mark D. Wiederhold. The detailed findings have been published here, the Practical Pain Management Journal website, which offers current, useful, and practical information for patients living with chronic pain, and for the medical professionals who treat them.
“We were very encouraged with this trial and it has provided valuable information on how PEMF therapy can treat chronic pain,” said Dr. Brenda Wiederhold. “With the opioid epidemic, it is really timely to find other non-narcotic pain relief solutions for patients.”
“I am very excited as the study confirms that using the Oska Pulse is a true pain relief device regardless of the user(s) background.” Greg Houlgate, President and CEO of Oska Wellness. “Oska Pulse is providing relief for many early users of the product by helping to reduce back, shoulder, knee, ankle, and foot pain, as well as chronic pain issues. The feedback from this double-blind study confirms that Oska Pulse can really help people dealing with pain.”
The Pain Practitioner interviewed Professor Dr. Brenda K Wiederhold, Chief Executive Officer of the Interactive Media Institute, a 501c3 non-profit, and President of the Virtual Reality Medical Center. Please click on Pain Practitioner link above to read the 3-page interview.
Contact Information:
Email: frontoffice@vrphobia.com
Wiederhold’s clinic uses the technology for medical therapy to help patients deal with PTSD, anxiety, phobias (like fear of flying and fear of driving), pain during medical procedures and chronic pain. She predicts more clinics using VR will pop-up in California and across the country within the near future.
On Friday, October 20, Dr. Brenda K. Wiederhold was an invited speaker at the Academy of Integrative Pain Management’s 28th Annual Meeting. As the “largest network of pain care professionals”, this conference exhibited the best practices and latest advancements in integrative pain management. Recent attention on the opioid crisis in America has heightened the awareness for nonpharmacological adjunctive pain care techniques. Virtual reality (VR) has emerged as an innovative technological application for pain distraction.
Dr. Wiederhold’s presentation focused on the use of virtual reality as an adjunctive pain management tool. With twenty-one years of clinical virtual reality (VR) experience, Dr. Wiederhold shared her VR research in dental pain management, surgical pain distraction, and chronic pain management. Referencing less medication, less pain, and lower physician stress, Dr. Wiederhold cited recent surgical pain distraction publications that highlight the significance of VR’s health care capabilities. “In both gynecological surgery and endoscopic procedures, physiological indicators of pain were reduced in patients using VR distraction”, Wiederhold noted. The presentation concluded with a brief question and answer.
Contact: frontoffice@vrphobia.com
Visit our YouTube channel for more information: www.Youtube.com/VirtualMedical
The Virtual Reality Medical Center and nonprofit affiliate, Interactive Media Institute, recently published the article, “Using Virtual Reality to Mobilize Health Care: Mobile Virtual Reality Technology for Attenuation of Anxiety and Pain” in the January Issue of IEEE Consumer Electronics Magazine. The article summarizes the use of virtual reality as a tool for pain distraction and stress reduction in patients. This tool has been used to treat phobias, stress disorders, distract from surgical pain, and help overcome chronic pain. As a mobile healthcare platform, virtual reality and related technologies are changing the face of healthcare services by increasing access, efficiency, and effectiveness.
For the full text, please visit: http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/8197481/
Please direct any questions regarding this article to Dr. Brenda K. Wiederhold at frontoffice@vrphobia.com
Interactive Media Institute, Virtual Reality Medical Center, and the Panamerican University School of Medicine in Mexico City recently published findings on the use of virtual reality (VR) surgical pain distraction in the January 2017 issue of the European Medical Journal – Innovations. In a study of 115 participants, researchers found people who viewed immersive VR environments reported less pain during and after their gastrointestinal surgical procedure than those who did not. The researchers call for further investigation into whether VR can be used to supplement or replace traditional pharmacological anesthesia.
This research adds on to studies already examining the use of VR in pain attenuation, but is one of the first to use VR during surgical procedures. Not only did the patients report lower pain scores, but the success of the treatment suggests the potential of VR to help lower the need for medications like anesthesia. Additionally, the surgeon rated his stress lower and completed surgeries faster when patients were in VR. The reduction of pain without pharmacological substances can 1) help lower costs for public health institutions, 2) reduce the risk of complications, and 3) decrease patient recovery time.
Contact author:
Dr. Brenda K. Wiederhold
Virtual Reality Medical Center
Access full text:http://emjreviews.com/therapeutic-area/innovations/virtual-reality-assisted-anaesthesia-during-upper-gastrointestinal-endoscopy-report-of-115-cases
Vázquez JL, Wiederhold BK, Miller I, Wiederhold MD. Virtual reality assisted anaesthesia during upper gastrointestinal endoscopy: report of 115 cases. EMJ Innov. 2017;1[1]:75-82. http://emjreviews.com/therapeutic-area/innovations/virtual-reality-assisted-anaesthesia-during-upper-gastrointestinal-endoscopy-report-of-115-cases/