Randomized-controlled trial of skills-based vr vs. distraction vr vs. sham VR for chronic low back pain

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The study evaluated three VR interventions for chronic low back pain: Skills-Based VR, Distraction VR, and Sham VR.
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No significant differences were found between active VR and Sham VR for primary or most secondary outcomes.
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Distraction VR group showed a significant reduction in daily opioid use compared to Sham VR (p = 0.009).
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Baseline anxiety predicted improvement in PROMIS Pain Interference within the Skills-Based VR group (p = 0.025).
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High adherence rates across groups demonstrated the feasibility of home-based VR for managing chronic low back pain.

Npj Digital Medicine

by Brennan M. R. Spiegel, Samuel A. Eberlein, Susan Persky, Mariko L. Ishimori, Swamy Venuturupalli, Joseph Tu, Fadi Alhatem, Mary A. Vijjeswarapu, Zoe Krut, Tom Norris, So Yung Choi, Mourad Tighiouart, Lindsey Ross, Mark Vrahas, Omer Liran, Itai Danovitch, Tinh Vuong, Joshua Fouladian
February 16, 2026

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