Last week, Jackie Waters wrote a valuable and information-packed article about taking steps to prevent opioid addiction. If you missed it, please take some time and read it … you can clink on this link to access it ==> prevent opioid addiction. As the article mentioned, abusing prescribed opioid-based pain killer medications is the primary cause of opioid addiction. The key is to find a good balance between the use of prescription pain killer drugs, other forms of treatment and new technologies that are aimed at pain relief.
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I thought virtual reality (VR) was a new technology used for pain relief, however, as the National Institutes of Health article mentioned, VR has been used for pain relief for some time now. Even though, I really have not seen VR products catch on as a pain relief product. And sure enough, it appears such products are now just catching traction when it comes to pain relief. On November 2021 the FDA authorized the marketing of a VR product used to relieve chronic lower back pain in adults. Okay, so I guess the reason why the use of VR as an actual treatment for pain relief was still not mainstream is because they were being tested all these years and used in clinical settings. The first of its kind for in-home use is a product called EaseVRx, “a prescription-use immersive virtual reality (VR) system”. Here is a snippet of the article from the GoodRx Health website published on December 2021 titled “FDA Authorizes EaseVRx Virtual Reality System for Chronic Lower Back Pain”:
“Pain: the odds are pretty high that you’ve experienced it in your life — likely to different degrees. Pulled a muscle? Headache? Toothache? Broken bone? All painful experiences. And what do you do when you experience pain? Seek relief.
Often, pain can be relieved with pain medications, rest, and other remedies. But what if you have pain all the time?
In a report from 2016, it was estimated that chronic pain affects over 1 in 5 people in the U.S. And lower back pain is one of the most common conditions that people report. This could be from an accident, strenuous work, or medical conditions, like arthritis. Frequently, chronic lower back pain is challenging to treat, and many people want to avoid long-term use of medications for treatment.
In late 2021, the FDA cleared EaseVRx, a new non-medication option that uses virtual reality to treat chronic back pain. It’s the first system of its kind to be authorized for in-home use. Read on to learn more about EaseVRx …”
Click on the following link to continue reading the article ==> FDA Authorizes EaseVRx Virtual Reality System for Chronic Lower Back Pain
The GoodRx Health article goes really in depth on EaseVRx, informing us on how it works, its effectiveness, and so on. Bottom line, the article does a very good job reviewing the new product. It does remind us that it is not a cure-all end-all product for pain relief, and that it “can be used as an add-on to help you better manage your pain”. It appears EaseVRx is not going to be an over-the-counter product (yet) and will require a prescription. Unfortunately, it is currently not available to the public, and there is no information regarding its cost. The company, AppliedVR, who has developed EaseVRx is currently hammering out the details with the medical insurance companies to get coverage for it. If that ever happens, then individuals can get treated for their lower back pain in the comfort of their own homes without paying a ton of money. It is my hope that the powers that be do not stunt such disruptive technology and innovation, in the U.S. and around the world, when it comes to addressing the need of individuals who are suffering from pain.
Thank you for dropping by and reading my post!
To Your Success & Freedom,
Glenn Shimabukuro
