Virtual Reality (VR) technology is increasingly used across various fields, including healthcare, training, and education. A notable application of VR is pain management, where it helps distract people from their sensations of pain. By immersing users in a virtual environment, VR can effectively shift their focus away from the painful experience. However, disorientation and discomfort during VR experiences need to be addressed, according to researcher Phillip Brown, who will be defending his dissertation on September 25.
The VR experience helps users feel as though they are in the virtual world, rather than concentrating on the sensation of pain. While the effectiveness of VR as a tool for pain distraction is well-documented, certain features of VR still need to be further researched to enhance its effectiveness.
A crucial factor is cybersickness, a condition related to motion sickness that can make users feel disoriented and uncomfortable in VR. Cybersickness can reduce the sense of immersion in the VR environment, which is essential for effective pain distraction. Therefore, minimizing cybersickness symptoms and identifying when they occur is of great importance. The research shows that by measuring and analyzing both self-reported and physiological responses (such as heart rate and skin conductance), we can improve the effectiveness of VR interventions and enhance the overall user experience.
