The Effects, Usability and User Satisfaction of Virtual Reality for People With Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain: A Scoping Review

Objective To review the existing evidence of the effectiveness, usability, and user satisfaction of virtual reality on chronic musculoskeletal pain. Design A scoping review based on PRISMA-ScR guidelines. Data sources Four electronic databases were used: MEDLINE, Scopus, CINAHL, and PsycINFO. Review/Analysis Methods All articles were screened by a single reviewer, with a second reviewer randomly screening 10% of the articles to verify consistency. Data was tabulated and synthesized. Results Eleven studies were included for review, including randomized controlled trials and case studies. Seven studies were conducted among patients with chronic low back pain. Five studies used virtual reality programs based on psychotherapeutic approaches, of which most reported a reduction in pain intensity due to virtual reality use. Other types of virtual reality programs, such as embodiment-based and exercise-based, were more variable in terms of effectiveness. User satisfaction differed across intervention types, with psychotherapy-based VR most often reported as satisfactory. Conclusions Current literature suggests that psychotherapy-based VR interventions are most consistently associated with reported reductions in pain intensity in people with chronic MSK pain. However, findings predominantly focus on chronic low back pain populations, limiting generalizability to other MSK conditions. Further research is needed to explore the application of VR interventions across a broader range of chronic MSK pain conditions and to consistently report outcomes related to usability and user satisfaction. Nursing Practice Implications VR shows potential as an at-home self-management tool for chronic MSK pain reduction, particularly low back pain. Selecting evidence-based, tailored programs may increase treatment effectiveness and use.