Virtual reality therapy for myofascial pain: Evolving towards an evidence-based non-pharmacologic adjuvant intervention.

Overview

Myofascial pain syndrome (MPS) is a highly prevalent and burdensome cause of pain globally, representing a major focus of chronic pain management. Management of MPS is highly variable, with therapies ranging from interventional approaches to physical therapy. Virtual reality (VR) is a novel form of therapy being actively explored as an adjuvant to procedural sedation in the acute pain setting, and increasingly as a means of chronic pain management through programs that facilitate pain education, physical therapy and mindfulness, among other approaches. However, to date, there are minimal clinical studies assessing VR therapy within the context of MPS treatments. Given the existing volume of work published in the acute pain setting and the translational work exploring VR and neuroplasticity in chronic pain, we make the case here that it is an appropriate time to consider exploring VR therapy as a non-pharmacological adjuvant treatment for MPS.