Pain Therapy with Virtual Reality

Scientists devise virtual reality treatment for excruciating pain.
NBC Nightly News (9/2, story 9, 2:35, Williams) reported on "a novel way to control pain that involves mental distraction so effective, so real it actually eases a patient's physical suffering." Chief science correspondent Robert Bazell explained that "Hunter Hoffman, of the University of Washington, devised the virtual reality as a treatment for excruciating pain, especially pain caused by burns." In "Snow World," there are no reds or oranges or even suggestions of warmth and heat. Patients don earphones and goggles and immerse themselves in the virtual world where they are soothed by familiar music. After speaking with a burn patient and using Snow World himself during an experiment, Bazell concluded, "The success is a demonstration of what doctors have long known -- that pain is perceived in the brain and even distraction can bring amazing relief."
Study explores why some people are more likely to become addicted to opioid painkillers. HealthDay (9/2, Preidt) reported that, according to a study published in the September issue of the journal Addiction, "the mystery of why some people are more likely to become addicted to opioid painkillers has been partially unraveled by the Geisinger Health System." In a study of 705 back pain patients prescribed opioid painkillers for more than three months, researchers "found that the group most vulnerable to addiction has four main risk factors in common: age (being younger than 65); a history of depression; prior drug abuse; and using psychiatric medications." In fact, "painkiller addiction rates among patients with these factors are as high as 26 percent," the study found.