Randomized Controlled Study Comparing Virtual Reality to Traditional Sedation During Epidural Injection Procedures

This groundbreaking study from the world renowned Lancet Journal is a randomized control study about the effectiveness of virtual reality in place of traditional sedation during epidural steroid injections. The study utilized Harvard MedTech’s Vx Therapy Program to measure the effectiveness of virtual reality.

The primary objective of this study was to determine whether virtual reality reduces procedure-related pain and anxiety during epidural steroid injections. The use of traditional sedation during interventional procedures increases costs, complications and reduces communication during diagnostic injections, prompting a search for alternatives. Results of the study include:

• The Vx Therapy Program provided comparable benefits to sedation for procedure-related pain, anxiety, and patient satisfaction
• Unlike sedation, virtual reality allows patients to remain alert and communicate with their healthcare providers during procedures
• Patients using Vx Therapy during their procedure experiences shorter recovery times compared to those who receive sedation