Effectiveness and user experience of a virtual reality intervention in a cohort of patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain syndromes.

ABSTRACT: Chronic musculoskeletal pain (CMP) syndromes, including fibromyalgia, present diverse physical and psychological symptoms often resistant to pharmacological treatment. To retrospectively evaluate the effectiveness and user experience of Virtual Reality (VR) in reducing pain and anxiety in CMP patients and identify predictors of positive response. Data from 91 CMP patients in a 2-week interdisciplinary pain program were analyzed (78% met fibromyalgia criteria). Pain and anxiety were assessed using Numerical Rating Scales (NRS 0-10) before and after VR. Follow-up interviews were conducted after one month. An unsupervised machine learning model explored response patterns. VR led to a moderate but significant short-term reduction in anxiety and pain (median NRS -1.0, p < 0.001). A reduction of

SUBMITTER: Pretat T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11957290 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature