VIRTUAL REALITY AS AN EDUCATIONAL TOOL IN THE TREATMENT OF CHRONIC PAIN: PROTOCOL FOR A FEASIBILITY STUDY

IntroductionChronic pain significantly impacts quality of life and requires comprehensive management strategies.Traditional pain education programs are beneficial but often require significant and prolonged patientengagement. Virtual reality (VR) offers a novel approach by creating immersive environments that mayenhance the effectiveness of pain education. This protocol outlines a feasibility study to investigate theuse of a Virtual Reality Pain Education Program (VRPEP) for people living with chronic pain (PwCP). Aim of the investigationThe primary aim will be to evaluate the feasibility of delivering a VRPEP for PwCP. The secondary aimwill be to explore the pre-to-post-test changes in outcome measures relating to pain self-efficacy and fearavoidance behaviours as proof of concept for a future larger scale investigation. MethodsThis study will be conducted as a single-arm feasibility study using a pre-test post-test design. 50 PwCPwill engage in a 6-week VRPEP, focusing on the neurophysiology of pain, pain modulation techniques,cognitive-behavioural strategies and guided virtual exercises. ResultsPrimary outcome measures will include the feasibility, acceptability and safety of the VRPEP, includingrecruitment, retention, intervention adherence and attrition rates. Secondary outcomes will includeefficacy measures relating to changes in pain intensity, quality of life and physical, emotional andcognitive functioning. ConclusionsResults will establish the feasibility, acceptability and safety of a VRPEP in the treatment of chronicpain, informing a future randomised control trial.