• Philip D Austin.
• Department of Palliative Care, HammondCare, Greenwich Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
• Pain Med. 2022 Jan 3; 23 (1): 105-121.

ObjectiveAlthough virtual reality is shown to have short-term analgesic effects in acute pain settings, its long-term efficacy in chronic pain conditions has not been established. This scoping review aims to provide a summary of virtual reality approaches explored in chronic primary and secondary pain conditions as defined by the International Association for the Study of Pain.MethodsA systematic literature search in Ovid PubMed and Ovid Embase was conducted between January 5 and January 10, 2021, with the use of the Arksey and O'Malley six-step scoping review criteria. Articles were searched via search terms and keywords relating to International Classification of Diseases-defined primary and secondary chronic pain conditions, virtual reality, virtual illusion, distraction, and effects on levels of pain.ResultsOf the 2,118 articles located, 44 were included, which covered a range of primary and secondary chronic pain conditions and used a variety of different computer screen and headset protocols, including gaming, mindfulness, exercise, relaxation, and proprioceptive skills.ConclusionsStudies show virtual reality to be an effective analgesic intervention for people with chronic pain. Given user satisfaction, a lack of side effects such as cybersickness, and relief of comorbid symptoms, virtual reality has potential as a worthwhile adjunct to chronic pain management programs, thus enabling patients to take control of their symptoms.© The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Academy of Pain Medicine. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

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