Utilizing Apple Vision Pro for Mindfulness Intervention to Reduce Pain and Anxiety in a Hospitalized Patient With Mixed Connective Tissue Disease: A Case Report

Developing and evaluating non-pharmacological treatments is critical for optimizing pain management and reducing dependence on opioids, as well as mitigating opioid-induced adverse effects. One promising approach involves the use of virtual reality (VR)- and augmented reality (AR)-guided mindfulness techniques. We examined the clinical utility of the Mindfulness app on the Apple Vision Pro VR/AR headset in managing pain and anxiety in a hospitalized patient with mixed connective tissue disease. This case study presents a 22-year-old woman experiencing progressive acute-on-chronic pain and weakness, significantly impairing her mobility due to mixed connective tissue disease. The case report evaluated the effectiveness of a built-in Mindfulness app provided through AR on the Vision Pro. Conducted over 48 hours, the study assessed pain, anxiety, and as-needed medication usage before, during, and after the intervention for a single subject. The patient participated in six intervention sessions, each averaging 59.67 minutes in duration. The Mindfulness app on the device reduced pain from an average of 4.67/10 pre-intervention to 1.83/10 post-intervention (p=0.03) and anxiety from an average of 6.5/10 pre-intervention to 2.83/10 post-intervention (p=0.03). The patient reported an overall positive experience with a motivation to utilize mindfulness interventions further in the future. The patient experienced some discomfort with the device due to its suboptimal fit and tolerable eye strain with prolonged use. Utilizing Apple Vision Pro to deliver mindfulness interventions could serve as a viable non-pharmacological treatment modality for pain. Further research with adequately powered larger sample sizes and controlled designs is recommended to further study such interventions.