Feasibility and Safety of a Virtual Reality Dodgeball Intervention for Chronic Low Back Pain: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

ABSTRACT: Whereas the fear-avoidance model of chronic low back pain (CLBP) posits a generic avoidance of movement that is perceived as threatening, we have repeatedly shown that individuals with high fear and CLBP specifically avoid flexion of the lumbar spine. Accordingly, we developed a virtual dodgeball intervention designed to elicit graded increases in lumbar spine flexion while reducing expectations of fear and harm by engaging participants in a competitive game that is entertaining and distracting. We recruited 52 participants (48% female) with CLBP and high fear of movement and randomized them to either a game group (n = 26) or a control group (n = 26). All participants completed a pregame baseline and a follow-up assessment (4-6 days later) of lumbar spine motion and expectations of pain an

SUBMITTER: Thomas JS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5125833 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature