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February 19, 2026npj Digital MedicineOpen Access

Randomized-controlled trial of skills-based vr vs. distraction vr vs. sham VR for chronic low back pain

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Authors

BSBrennan MR SpiegelSESamuel EberleinSPSusan Persky

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Overview

Trial compares skills-based VR, distraction VR, and sham VR for managing chronic low back pain, indicating no major differences.

Key Points

  • Evaluate the effectiveness of various virtual reality interventions for managing chronic low back pain.
  • Randomized controlled trial design with 385 participants
  • Three intervention groups: Skills-Based VR, Distraction VR, Sham VR
  • Primary outcome measured was PROMIS Pain Interference
  • Secondary outcomes included physical function, anxiety, depression, and opioid use
  • No significant differences between active VR and Sham VR for primary outcomes
  • Distraction VR group showed a greater reduction in daily opioid use compared to Sham VR (p = 0.009)
  • Baseline anxiety predicted improvement in PROMIS-PI in the Skills-Based VR group (p = 0.025)
  • Adverse events were mostly mild, with cybersickness being most common
  • High adherence rates suggest feasibility of home-based VR interventions.

Cite This Study

Spiegel et al. (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6996a7ffecb39a600b3ee3echttps://doi.org/10.1038/s41746-026-02437-4
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Also Consider

Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context:

  1. 1Twelve-month results for a randomized sham-controlled effectiveness trial of an in-home skills-based virtual reality program for chronic low back pain2024 · 11 citations
  2. 2In-Home Virtual Reality Program for Chronic Lower Back Pain: A Randomized Sham-Controlled Effectiveness Trial in a Clinically Severe and Diverse Sample2023 · 28 citations
  3. 3Impact of non-immersive virtual reality on procedural pain, anxiety, and satisfaction in chronic low back pain patients: A quasi-experimental study2025
  4. 4Virtual Reality for the Treatment of Chronic Back Pain: Feasibility of a Novel Intervention Combining Movement Exercises and Body Illusions (Preprint)2025
  5. 5Effects of a Fully Immersive Virtual Reality Exercise Game on Fear of Movement, Pain, and Disability in People with Chronic Non-Specific Low Back Pain: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial2026