Studies have shown that only 30% of exercises get done when people leave the rehabilitation center. Moreover, a study reported that individuals post stroke typically spend only 20-60 minutes per day in formal therapy. Common factors of disengagement include boredom, fatigue, lack of motivation and lack of cooperation in attending therapy (Shaheen, 2011).
It is clear that the gamification element that VR can add to physical therapy is a crucial feature to improve patient’s engagement and overall progress. To gamify therapy means to bring some elements from games, like skill progression and rewards, into the real-world therapy. A strong immersive experience can stimulate the patient and accomplish the same objective as conventional therapy, but with a simpler approach.
VRHealth Platform
VRHealth, an FDA cleared and HIPAA compliant platform, is developing VR medical applications accessible for a wide range of rehabilitation programs. The platform includes applications that focus on upper extremity rehabilitation and active shoulder
ROM assessment (Balloon Blast ™), and neck rehabilitation and range of motion assessment (Rotate™), and cervical spine and shoulder proprioception assessment (Dot Track ™ – limited availability).
VRHealth Platform has been successfully deployed in a number of hospitals and clinics that are already seeing the benefits of implementing it into their procedures. One clear benefit is the improved accuracy that the technology offers versus the more traditional goniometer. According to a doctor of a top-tier College in the US, “the differences could be up to 10 to 20 degrees with the goniometer underreporting values”.
The platform runs in a number of devices, making it a cost-effective tool with a potential double-digit ROI from the first year of purchase. Additionally, our platform delivers real-time data analytics that allows patients and clinicians to track overall health improvements.
How VR Is Impacting the Medical World
A study done by the School of Rehabilitation Sciences at the University of Ottawa shows the amazing results that can be achieved by implementing VR into physical therapy:
- 71% of patients with traumatic brain injury showed a clinically significant improvement on the Community Balance and Mobility Scale (CB&M). Only 40% of patients showed improvement following the traditional therapy.
- Patients with Parkinson’s disease akinesia that use VR can initiate and sustain walking.
- Patients with hemiplegia following a stroke showed significant improvement in gait speed, leg muscle activity, increased symmetry during gait and improvement in overall quality of life.
- Post-stroke rehabilitation patients improved significantly more on reach velocity and reach duration on upper extremities compared with patients taking a conventional therapy.
- Decreased anxiety and reductions in self-report of pain from patients in post-operative therapy.
- Patients reported enjoyment and wanted to repeat the experience if possible (Li, 2011).
The implementation of a VR telerehabilitation for patients that suffered a stroke can help the healthcare provider reduce their costs $654.72 per patient on average (Mercer, 2017).
We will be happy to provide more information on how we can help accelerate rehabilitation while improving patient’s health.
Sources:
Li, A., Montatño, Z., Chen, V.J., Gold, J.I. 2011. Virtual Reality and Pain Management:
Current Trends and Future Directions. Retrieved on July, 2019 from:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3138477/
Mercer, L. 2017. Tele-Rehabilitation for Stroke Survivors. Retrieved on July, 2019 from:
https://www.healthrecoverysolutions.com/blog/tele-rehabilitation-for-stroke-survivors
Shaheen, A. A., Rahman, A. 2011. Virtual Reality Use in Motor Rehabilitation of
Neurological Disorders: A Systematic Review. Retrieved on July, 2019 from:
https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/5d8e/0b7b381f65f144f5415d4f4494c095ad3ee8.pdf
