Can virtual reality help with chronic pain relief? This Palm Desert doctor says yes

Clark Langwell hops in a kayak and effortlessly glides through the water, admiring his view and feeling the burn in his arms with each stroke as he moves past massive rock formations.

However, there's no body of water anywhere near him — he's sitting inside Donya Medical and Beauty Spa in Rancho Mirage with a headset on — and instead of a paddle, he holds two remote controllers. Nearby, Kathy Hoy and Joan Langwell take turns dodging and slicing invisible objects. But when you look at a television screen, you can see giant blocks representing musical beats coming toward them that they have to hit with brightly-colored sabers (via the remote controllers) in the game "Beat Saber."

This is all possible due to virtual reality, a computer-generated simulation of a three-dimensional image or environment that, with the right type of equipment, users can interact with in a seemingly real or physical way.

The trio have fun interacting with these games and get their heartrates up, but they also serve a greater benefit to them as chronic pain patients. Dr. Mersedeh Karimian, a physician specializing in interventional pain, with the help of her son, Milad Ilbeigi, a tech-savvy teenager, have formed a support group called Pain Xcape to help these patients find additional relief through virtual reality.

Studies have been done in recent years to see how virtual reality might be able to reduce pain among chronic sufferers. In November 2021, the Food and Drug Administration authorized the marketing of a prescription-use VR system that uses cognitive behavioral therapy to help with diagnosed chronic lower back pain. By utilizing deep breathing exercises, deep relaxation, movement and other principles of behavioral therapy, 66% of participants reported a greater than 30% reduction in pain.

'Mind, body and spirit'

When using the virtual reality set for the first time after seeing her kids use it, Karimian had to do a number of activities, such as dodging objects or moving her arms in certain motions. That got her thinking.

Many of her patients with arthritis, for example, normally might not want to do these movements because they think it will bring on even more pain. But the exciting visual elements and immersive simulations from virtual reality could get them engaged in the activities, which would show them that "movement is actually their friend ... the more you move, the more muscle strength you have, the less pressure there is on the joints," she said.

As Karimian researched the technology, she found that it could serve her patients in more ways than one. In addition to studies that have looked at virtual reality's effects on chronic pain, evidence also suggests that it could help those with depression and anxiety.

"I realized that there’s a role for this in the pain management group where it affects their mind, body and spirit because they're frequently depressed, they’re anxious, they have social isolation and they shy away from exercises and doing plans," Karimian said, who runs Palm Valley Pain Management in Palm Desert. "They don’t have a group to get together and discuss their issues, and sometimes they feel like they’re alone in the world."

She encouraged some of her patients to try out virtual reality games at home − both those that require more movement and others that are more meditative. Just as she was about to hold in-person meetings for everyone to get together, the COVID-19 pandemic hit.

But that extra time ended up being necessary to organize the group even more. Ilbeigi, a student at Xavier College Preparatory High School, assembled a few of his friends to help, which got Pain Xcape fully off the ground.

A break from reality

One Friday afternoon in September, Ilbeigi and his friends Daniel Reed and Eduardo Chaparro were setting up two virtual reality stations at Donya Medical and Beauty Spa. One would be utilized by patients who want to stand and move during their game, while another would be for those who want to sit down and do a more leisurely activity.

The three teens say they have utilized virtual reality as a way to distract and keep themselves entertained during their free time. But once they realized it could affect people in other ways, they wanted to spread the word and get as many people hooked up as possible.

"You're actually doing something, it's not like you're sitting down and being stagnant," like with a computer or video game console, explained Reed. Ilbeigi said there's a number of virtual reality games that get people up and moving, such as BOXVR, where users can jab and uppercut their way through workouts, and others dedicated to dancing.

First up was Hoy, 53, who has been living with rheumatoid arthritis, a chronic autoimmune disease that mostly affects the joints, for 15 years. She experiences stiffness frequently, but when she's having a severe flare-up, it's "debilitating" and even more difficult to move around, she said.

But when someone looks at her bending and ducking while hooked up to the virtual reality set, they wouldn't know that she has any pain.

"These games get my joints moving," Hoy said.

A few years ago, she watched a documentary about virtual reality and ended up ordering a set for her son at college. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, she said it helped with loneliness because her son was able to stay in contact with friends and "meet up" with them online during a time when everyone had to social distance.

Over the years, virtual reality has helped with her mental health struggles as well. When she has a severe flare-up, she goes through a depression cycle, which she explained is because "you’re disappointed in yourself, you’re in pain and you can’t travel anywhere." But when she pops on her headset, she's able to pick any place in the world to let go of it all and explore, like Germany, the site of the 1986 Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant explosion in Ukraine and the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam.

"I feel excited," Hoy said about her "travels." "I get off and the first thing I want to do is tell somebody I did this, I saw this, and I want to share it."

Clark Langwell, 51, got into virtual reality as a way to manage pain he developed after a bone marrow transplant for leukemia. At first it served as "an escape from reality," like how the scenic views from "Kayak VR: Mirage" distracted him from day-to-day struggles. As he tried more activities, he realized "you can actually get some exercise from it."

"Some days I can play it fully where I’m leaning, bending and ducking. On the days where I can’t do that, and I’m not up to it, I can sit down and play," Clark said. "It’s just a way to distract your brain from what’s going on. It’s hard to work out when you hurt all the time, so it’s just a nice way to try and exercise."

He even introduced his mother, Joan, 83, to it so she could exercise as well. Earlier this year, she became ill from COVID-19 and later developed blood clots. Though she's taken things slow, she's started to work out and do a few activities through virtual reality again, like "Beat Saber."

After 15 minutes hooked up to the gaming console, Joan emerged with rosy cheeks. "I’m probably done for the day," she chuckled.

All three praised Karimian's efforts to provide innovative ways to help manage their chronic pain, and it's even more heartening that her son and his teen friends are involved too. Seeing all of them do this from the kindness of their hearts and for free is something "you just don’t see that much of anymore," Clark said.

Karimian said the teens have "coached" her when it comes to recommending which games might be best suitable for someone based on their pain and activity levels, and they've dedicated their free time to building up the group and making sure programs run smoothly.

"It’s a cool, inspiring situation," Karimian said. "You have a bunch of teenagers who are putting their energy toward positivity in the community, trying to get a group of patients together that are all suffering from a common issue, introducing them to a new holistic method, and making technology not be their enemy, but really be their friend."

The experience has been valuable for the high schoolers, too, who say they enjoy helping others and hope to do that in their careers, whether through health care, technology or other fields.

Karimian said she plans to hold the Pain Xcape group once or twice a month and have it open to all, whether or not they're her patient. To learn more, call 760-888-1600.

Ema Sasic covers entertainment and health in the Coachella Valley. Reach her at ema.sasic@desertsun.com or on Twitter @ema_sasic.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Can virtual reality provide chronic pain relief? This doctor says yes