Perspective: The Promise of Virtual Reality as an Immersive Therapeutic.

The International Association for the Study of Pain defines pain as “an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage or described in terms of such damage.” Pain affects billions of people worldwide, impacting both physical and psychosocial aspects of health. Chronic pain, which lasts greater than 3 months, is a complex condition involving interplay of the peripheral and central nervous systems. Common symptoms include anxiety, depression, social isolation, and reduced quality of life, often leading to functional impairment and financial burden. The biopsychosocial model of pain emphasizes chronic pain resulting from the complex interaction of biological, psychological, and social factors, including previous trauma. Psychiatric sequelae of chronic pain, such as addiction, overdose, chronic suicidal ideation, and suicide mortality, often arise due to the ongoing physical suffering and emotional distress experienced by patients. Consequently, adequate chronic pain management requires comprehensive, resource-intensive approaches addressing physical, psychological, and emotional aspects. In the 1990s and early 2000s, opioid prescriptions surged, significantly impacting pain treatment. However, the negative consequences of overuse eventually yielded a decline in opioid prescriptions, sparking innovation and paving the way for novel, targeted pain treatments. Artificial intelligence (AI) may improve pain management by providing personalized care and improving clinical decision making. AI has been incorporated into diagnostics, predicting pain progression, treatment response, and therapeutic management performance. Virtual reality (VR) has also been shown to effectively reduce pain intensity in a range of acute pain situations, including procedural pain, as well as in chronic pain conditions via mechanisms like distraction from pain, anxiety reduction, and cognitive engagement. Using conversational avatars and immersion, VR offers further pain assessment and symptom collection advantages. In light of these advantages, personalized AI/VR environments through AI text to 3-dimensional (3D) content creations and AI voice cloning of loved ones could enhance the therapy effectiveness through cognitive distraction, visuotactile stimulation, visuomotor stimulation, and emotional support. Therefore, patients could rapidly customize their environment settings and audio based on their preferences.