New Case Study

Research on the effects of VR to improve the results of rehabilitation therapies has shown positive effects of exercise therapy in virtual environments. The results of our pilot study showed that VR-assisted exercise therapy in selected patients with shoulder impingement syndrome was associated with a significant improvement in subjective indices including pain intensity and joint disability and an increase in pain tolerance threshold and objective criteria, i.e. the range of motion. The exact mechanism for reducing pain and disability with this method is not exactly known, however, several theories have been proposed to explain this mechanism, which include the Gate Control Theory, activation of descending inhibitory pathways, production of endogenous opioids, mirror neuron activation, and beneficial neuroplasticity. After 4 weeks of VR therapy plus conventional physiotherapy exercises, there were significant improvements in the range of motion, pain sensation, disability, pain threshold and muscle strength. According to this study, Recovery Tech game-based virtual reality exercises could lead to pain relief along with functional improvement of shoulder joint in patients with impingement syndrome.