A new study from the University of Exeter has found that watching nature scenes in virtual reality (VR) can help relieve symptoms linked to long-term pain.
The study, published in the journal Pain, showed that people who felt more present in the VR experience had the strongest pain relief.
Long-term, or chronic, pain lasts for more than three months and is often hard to treat. Researchers wanted to see whether virtual nature could help.
They compared two groups: one watched a 360-degree immersive nature film in VR, and the other watched the same scenes on a regular 2D screen. The results showed that VR was almost twice as effective in reducing pain.
To simulate chronic pain, the researchers gave mild electric shocks to healthy participants and measured their pain responses. This helped mimic the type of nerve pain people with chronic conditions often experience. They then measured how much sensitivity the participants developed after 50 minutes.
On another day, the same people watched a 45-minute VR video of waterfalls in Oregon. This immersive experience was designed to feel like being in real nature. On a different visit, participants watched the same video on a flat 2D screen. After each session, they answered questions about their pain and how present and relaxed they felt during the experience.
The results showed that people who watched the VR nature scenes developed less pain sensitivity than those who watched in 2D. These effects lasted even after the 45-minute VR session ended. The stronger the sense of “being there” people felt during the VR experience, the more pain relief they experienced.
To better understand how the brain responded, participants also had brain scans at the University of Exeter’s Neuroimaging Centre. While being scanned, they were given a cold gel to create a different type of pain.
The scans showed that those who had stronger connections in brain areas that control pain felt less pain. This means VR nature scenes might change how the brain and spinal cord process pain during long-term conditions.
Dr. Sam Hughes, who led the study, explained that while spending time in real nature can reduce pain, not everyone with chronic health issues can go outside. This is where virtual reality can help, by giving people a similar experience from the comfort of their homes or care facilities.
Dr. Sonia Medina, another researcher on the project, said that VR had a powerful effect because it felt so real and immersive. People who felt more connected to the natural environment in the video experienced greater relief.
She hopes future studies will look at how nature exposure through VR can be used in hospitals or care homes to help people manage pain.
This research shows a promising step toward using immersive technology as a safe and effective way to support people living with chronic pain.
If you care about pain, please read studies about how to manage gout with a low-purine diet, and a guide to eating right for arthritis.
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The study is published in published in Pain.
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