Virtual reality is currently known as a new form of entertainment. However, in Healthcare, it’s more than entertainment. It’s increasingly being utilized in broad medical applications that can range from treatments and training. The most important thing is that Virtual Reality paves the way in visualizing an interacting with scientific data in the 3D virtual world. For example, being able to interact with the real cell makes it possible to enhance and improve drug delivery on patients, especially those who need intensive care and treatment.
Check out how Virtual reality helps in improving drug delivery.
Pain Management on Patients
Scientific evidence backs the claim that Virtual Reality helps in relieving pain in patients. When patients are immersed in Virtual Reality, the part of the brain that is connected to pain, the somatosensory cortex and insula, are less active. In other situations, it can even help patients tolerate medical procedures which are generally painful.
On another note, amputees can significantly benefit from VR therapy which can be very difficult to treat with the traditional methods done in the recent years. The problem with conventional treatment is that many patients don’t respond well with strong painkillers such as morphine and codeine. The good news is that a new form of Virtual Reality method called as “virtual mirror therapy” involves putting on a VR headset and controlling a virtual version of the lost part or limb to allow patients to cope better when they are experiencing phantom pain.
Another breakthrough in VR is the ability to deliver cancer drugs effectively. Viewing cells in real time can help improve understanding of the medical condition of patients. It encourages the effectivity of visual learning and diagnosis.
Physical Therapy on Patients
When it comes to body movements, VR can be used to track it effectively, allowing patients to practice the movements for their therapy exercises through a virtual game. A perfect example of this exercise is when they need to lift their arm above their head to catch the virtual ball.
In fact, people enjoy doing exercise in Virtual Reality instead of doing their exercises in the gym. This makes them feel more motivated in exercising. It can be beneficial in other ways too. A patient who feels anxious when walking can use VR to control their virtual environment. In this way, they can set it in a mode wherein they will see themselves moving slower than they are. Through this, they will unconsciously speed up their walking without even realizing that they are doing it and so it will not be associated with pain and anxiety. Through observation on how people interact with VR systems, better rehabilitation is designed for the patients.
There is excellent potential in teaching both the patients and physical therapists in Virtual Reality. Having the capability of teaching patients in VR for pain management is indeed invaluable. It helps in providing a chance for patients to take care of themselves and shorten their recovery time. The fidelity and immersion of VR have made it possible for patients and practitioners to master the use of it for medical purposes.
VR for Fear of Heights
People who have an irrational fear of something resort on medical VR treatment. Phobias and fears are usually treated with graded-exposure therapy. This process is executed done by slowly introducing of the patient to the fear by a certified therapist. Virtual Reality is considered to be the most effective tool since it can be adjusted accurately for the varying needs of the patient. It can be carried out in the doctor’s office or even at home. VR and fear of heights are considered to be a perfect match since VR can effectively help people recover from a post-traumatic stress disorder.
Fear of height is a widespread disorder in the society. It is considered to be an irrational fear of heights that causes a person to avoid situations that involve heights. This phobia can cause an anxiety reaction or panic attack which makes the person feels distressed. The consequences are sometimes difficult to cope with for some people.
An affected person will wear a head-mounted display (HMD). This is equipped with a tracking system. Av virtual environment will be shown where the person needs to interact. It can display a balcony or another situation that involves heights. The person appears to be looking down.
The tracking system is in charge of sensing the movement and position of the person’s head to reflect the change of perception. This system makes it realistic for the person using it. A therapist will monitor the physical reactions. It will clearly show how an individual reacts to the source of phobia.
Trauma and Cognitive Rehabilitation
A person suffering from brain injury or trauma struggles to accomplish their everyday tasks. Recreating the daily tasks through the use of Virtual Reality makes it easier for patients to increase their level of complexity and speed up their recovery period. This improves their cognitive function. Aside from this, it can also be used as a tool for assessment and observation of patients.
Comprehensive Training for Health Practitioners
The evolution of Virtual Reality is not only for the use of patients. It can also provide a myriad of benefits for medical professionals. It is useful for training doctors and nurses in delivering routine procedures for the patients. It helps in saving time and cost in training that is usually given by an expensive professional. Medical professionals can learn operation and anatomy through Virtual Reality.
Realistic simulations are advantageous compared with video-watching in training. With affordable VR equipment and controllable situations, a new learning tool will provide more significant benefits.
Virtual Reality technology is beneficial and advantageous to different fields in medical science even though it doesn’t get enough attention yet. This innovation helps in sharing of information and improving education that can directly affect the quality of treatments patients are receiving from health providers. It is proven that Virtual Reality helps in providing a better and efficient drug delivery for patients. It is foreseen that VR will increase its scope when it comes to healthcare management.
References:
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/11/171121121457.htm