Digital Biomarkers in Medicine: A Potential New Development in Medicine from Immersive Technology for Pain Management

For more than 75 years, different types of biological markers have evolved and are helping disease management better. The role of biological markers in the management of patients with chronic pain is remarkably noncontributory. Among different conditions of chronic pain, degenerative pain affecting various major and minor joints and spinal columns does not produce contributory markers in body fluids, which can be used for diagnostic and/or prognostic purposes. Of late, with the advent of various digital biomarkers originating from the introduction of sensor-based devices empowered with artificial intelligence and machine-based learning, there have been inflows of newer ways of management and guidance to patients who are with chronic pain. This narrative review has focused on the development of digital biomarkers in medical sciences over the last 25 years in the backdrop of the presence of biomarkers in medical science over almost four decades, with final view to look into the presence and role of digital biomarkers in the field of pain management. Recent studies highlight that digital input-based feedback from sensor-based immersive technology (IT) having the ability to create augmented and virtual reality environment for patients with chronic pain can be a boon for guiding them with a better spectrum of self-motivated rehabilitation therapy. It is expected that the field of pain medicine is in the process of having its own digital biomarkers from this newer IT-based therapy which has the ability to receive inputs from patients, analyze them using deep learning methods, and provide feedback for better healthcare management.