Niall O’Driscoll
CEO, ShineVR
Virtual reality (VR) therapy provides a promising, cost-effective way to support patients with chronic pain issues, according to Niall O’Driscoll, CEO of immersive therapeutic platform ShineVR.
Can you put Ireland’s chronic pain crisis into perspective?
One study, involving our partner Professor Brian McGuire of the Centre of Pain Research in Galway, says that chronic pain affects 35% of the population at an annual cost of €5.34 billion, which is more than cancer and heart disease combined. This isn’t unique to Ireland. Globally, chronic pain is a huge, complex, debilitating challenge. Plus, long-term treatment with opioids is problematic.
Are there other pain management options?
Already approved by the FDA in the US, studies have shown that VR can reduce a person’s perception of pain and the level of pharmacological input they need. So, we are launching the world’s first scalable, personalised, AI VR therapy platform specifically to support people living with chronic pain. This Chronic Pain Distraction programme, which follows our Stress Reduction programme, is designed to give immediate relief to patients suffering from chronic pain; this will be followed by CBT-based programmes for longer-term relief.
How does VR therapy work?
It’s simple to use. Wearing a VR headset, patients can choose from different immersive environments, such as a lakeside scene, a meadow and a forest. They can then join various activities, including diaphragmatic breathing exercises — where patients can see a visual representation of their own breath — to reduce the physiological signs of stress. Essentially, the part of the brain that would normally be receiving pain signals is distracted by an immersive audiovisual experience.
Globally, chronic pain is a huge,
complex, debilitating challenge.
What have the results been?
We piloted the technology with a chronic pain patient. It resulted in no pain perception during use and an average of 33% reduction in pain perception after use over a year. We’ve also been working with Ann Marie Kiernan, a pain management expert, on a VR therapy institutional trial with around 400 patients, where we are seeing pain scores reduce by nearly 50% as measured before and after use.
What are the cost benefits?
Healthcare providers can offer access to VR therapy for €1.88 per week, versus €8.16 per week for standard medication. To complement our inpatient use of a VR headset, we’ve also designed a cost-effective ‘Smartphone VR’ version for outpatient use.
What is the future of VR therapy for chronic pain?
We’re creating a series of VR cognitive behavioural therapy-style courses that train people to manage pain more effectively. We’re also using AI to personalise the VR experience for each patient. As we roll the solution out, we work closely with healthcare providers to find ways to improve it.
