Virtual Reality: A New Tool for Augusta Back Pain Recovery
THE SCIENCE BEHIND VR AND PAIN RELIEF
Recent groundbreaking research published in Scientific Reports has shown that virtual reality can plainly change what your brain does with pain signals. When patients with chronic low back pain used VR systems with visual feedback, they experienced altered pain perception during movement. (1) This is not just distraction – it's your brain adapting its response to movement patterns that normally cause discomfort.
VR helps by changing the visual information you receive, creating a difference between what you see and feel that allows your nervous system to develop pain-free ways of moving. This breakthrough finding suggests that VR can help interrupt the cycle of pain-avoidance that often keeps people with Augusta back pain from getting the exercise they need.
TARGETING YOUR DEEP SPINAL MUSCLES
A major challenge in back pain recovery is strengthening the lumbar erector spinae – the deep muscles that run along your spine and provide crucial stability. These muscles often become weak and poorly coordinated in people with chronic back pain, creating an ongoing cycle of instability and additional pain.
New research published in the European Journal of Applied Physiology reveals that these muscles show different fatigue patterns and spatial distribution patterns in older adults compared to younger individuals, highlighting the importance of age-appropriate, targeted training. (2) VR systems can offer immediate feedback about muscle activation, guiding you to properly use these deep stabilizing muscles that can be tough to feel and coordinate.
THE FUTURE OF REHABILITATION
Virtual reality allows for the combination of pain science with interactive, engaging exercise. By providing immediate visual feedback about your movement patterns and muscle activation, VR can help you restore your body's natural movement patterns while making the process more engaging and effective.
Ask your Augusta chiropractor at Lombardy Chiropractic Clinic about incorporating VR-based exercises into your treatment plan – it could be an important step toward lasting back pain relief.
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