In a recent study conducted by Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, virtual reality was discovered to perform as well as narcotics in reducing pain. The CEO of startup company AppliedVR, Matthew Stoudt, hopes that in the near future, doctors will start prescribing doses of virtual reality rather than doses of pain pills.
AppliedVR has joined forces with Cedars in an effort to effectively combat and manage pain in a whole new way, through the advancements of digital technology. If successful, this powerhouse partnership could forever change the medical playing field as we know it. The breakthrough could revolutionize patient care.
Currently, the startup is still in the process of building an extensive library of virtual-reality content for alleviating pain and anxiety before, during, and after medical procedures. With working alongside of many various hospitals, and with the help of doctors, patients who are using the technology on Samsung’s Gear VR headset are being monitored for effectiveness.
Rachel Metz, MIT Technology Review’s senior editor for mobile, reports that:
“So far, the company has created three different virtual-reality pain applications, as well as one for reducing anxiety, Stoudt says, and it’s using some third-party content, too. Headsets running AppliedVR’s platform are being used in hospitals, doctors’ offices, and clinics for things like drawing blood and administering epidurals, as well as for pain management after operations.”