Zusammenfassung
Schmerzbehandlung zählt zu den täglichen Routinen klinischer Anästhesisten. Im Rahmen
eines wohlüberlegten Einsatzes von Schmerzmedikamenten sind Alternativen zur medikamentösen
Schmerztherapie notwendig. Virtual Reality (VR) konnte sich in den letzten Jahren
durch immer kostengünstigere und bessere Technologien als realistische Ergänzung etablieren.
Möglichkeiten der VR sowie Indikationen und Kontraindikationen werden aufgezeigt.
Abstract
Future or reality? Treating acute and chronic pain is a part of the daily routine
of clinical anesthesiologists. Commonly used analgesics have unwanted side effects
or may even be insufficient as in chronic pain treatment. Virtual Reality (VR) could
be a promising new approach which offers noninvasive therapy options for the treatment
of pain. In case of the opioid misuse the adjunctive treatment is mandatory. Various
phenomena occur in VR, such as immersion, presence, embodiment and Proteus effect,
which can cause a change in body awareness and behavior. Experimental and clinical
studies already yielded some promising results for analgesic effects for acute and
chronic pain conditions using VR simulation. Potential analgesic mechanisms include
distraction, cognitive behavioral change, and distance from reality, leading to neurophysiological
changes at the cortical level. The quality of the virtual environment, personalized
avatars, as well as the possibility of
interaction and multisensory input can increase immersion, which leads to a state
of presence, and thus effective VR. VR can be used as an immersive extension or alternative
to mirror therapy, especially for pain disorders such as complex regional pain syndrome
(CRPS) or phantom limb pain. VR can be supplemented by gamification, which increases
intrinsic motivation, well-being and adherence to therapy. In summary, VR could be
an effective and realistic therapy option for acute and chronic pain in clinical and
home settings in the future.
Schlüsselwörter
Virtuelle Realität - chronischer Schmerz - Phantomschmerz - CRPS - Gamification
Key words
Virtual Reality - chronic pain - phantom limb pain - CRPS - gamification
