Tapping The Power Of Virtual Reality And Real-World Data To Reprogram Lower Back Pain

By Ivy Weng, MD, Head of Clinical Development and RWE/HEOR

Roughly 16 million Americans suffer from chronic low back pain (CLBP). For patients diagnosed with CLBP, treatment begins with a prescription of opioids, but this can often be a slippery slope that eventually leads to surgery. According to a recent Komodo Health analysis, roughly 30% of CLBP patients begin their treatment journey with opioids, of those, 63% had a previous history of opioid use, suggesting what many back pain sufferers already know: It almost always comes back.

Yet, for all the people who struggle with CLBP and its vicious cycle of opioids and surgeries, there has been very little innovation in how the problem is treated—until now.

In recent studies, researchers have investigated how virtual reality (VR) technology and real-world data can be used to treat lower back pain. By combining VR simulations with patient data, healthcare providers can create personalized treatment plans and improve patient outcomes. Discover how this cutting-edge technology and data combination is revolutionizing industry approaches to chronic pain management.