Editorial: Novel applications of virtual and mixed reality in pain research and treatment

Virtual Reality (VR) was first proposed as a distraction-based analgesic over 20 years ago (Hoffman et al., 2000). While powerful, distraction is only one possible use of VR in pain-related research and practice (e.g., (Harvie et al., 2015; Harvie et al., 2018; Harvie et al., 2020a; Harvie, 2021; Trost et al., 2021; Kelly et al., 2022)). Moreover, short-term effects of distraction are less relevant when pain is persistent. As such, new approaches are needed if VR is to have utility beyond acute pain.

The last two decades have seen increased understanding of the multidimensional nature of pain. Central sensitization (Woolf, 2011), cortical re-organization (Moseley and Flor, 2012), perceptual processes (Tabor et al., 2017), psychosocial and behavioral factors (Vlaeyen and Linton, 2012), altered body image (Levenig et al., 2019; Harvie et al., 2020b), and neuro-immune upregulation (Grace et al., 2021) are now recognized as important considerations. And while progress has been made in multidisciplinary management of chronic pain, intervention effect sizes are typically modest, indicating a need for innovation. Innovation is also needed in the domain of acute pain management, particularly considering the increasing push for opioid alternatives (Volkow and Blanco, 2021). In this domain, improved acute pain management aims to alleviate immediate suffering and prevent persistent pain (Gan, 2017).