Wearable technology has come a long way from basic pedometers to count steps. It now encompasses such devices as Fitbits or even apps on the smartphone you carry in your pocket. The technology is expanding to prosthetics and rehabilitative devices like the “Smart Glove,” which is used patients who have musculoskeletal injuries or are recovering from a stroke. Now, virtual reality technology (VR) may provide some improvements in treating workplace injuries.

In a new partnership to test digital tools in the treatment of acute orthopedic injuries, the Travelers Companies, Inc., announced on March 6 that it's collaborating with Cedars-Sinai, Samsung Electronics America, Bayer and appliedVR. According to the announcement, the partnership will explore the effectiveness of a digital pain-reduction kit that uses therapeutic VR and wearable technology as a “non-pharmacological supplement to managing pain associated with acute orthopedic injuries of the lower back and extremities.”

The clinical research project, to be conducted by Cedars-Sinai's Center for Outcomes Research and Education and Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, will take 16 months and include between 90 and 140 participants, ages 18 to 65. The partners believe that the research will help medical and workers' comp professionals understand how leveraging state-of-the-art technology will improve outcomes for injured workers.

“Workplace injuries that lead to chronic pain can cause ongoing issues, as an injured employee may mask pain with opioids or other drugs,” said Dr. Melissa Burke, National Pharmacy Director at Travelers in a statement. “Identifying new, non-pharmacologic alternatives for pain management can help an injured employee avoid chronic pain, lower the chances that they will develop a dangerous opioid addiction and reduce medical costs. We are grateful for this partnership and look forward to seeing the results that Dr. Brennan Spiegel and the Cedars-Sinai team uncover using the latest technology from appliedVR, Bayer and Samsung.”

Technology potential

“The opioid crisis doesn't just cost money, it also costs lives,” Dr. Spiegel, Director of Health Services Research at Cedars-Sinai said in a statement. “We need to find ways to stem the tide without relying entirely on medicines. Health technology, like virtual reality, has tremendous potential to improve outcomes while saving costs, which is why we're so excited about this collaboration among academia and industry.”

As explained in the announcement, the digital pain-reduction kit to be used in the trial consists of:

A Samsung Gear VR, powered by Oculus, headset;
Samsung GearFit2 wearable;
Therapeutic pain management content, powered by biosensors provided by appliedVR; and
An Aleve Direct Therapy TENS (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation) Device for those with lower back pain from sore and aching muscles due to strain from exercise and normal household and work activities, provided by Bayer.

The kit provides data by measuring day-to-day functional status, work productivity and the use of pain medication of participants.

“Recent research we've led with appliedVR and Cedars-Sinai have demonstrated that virtual reality reduces pain in hospitalized patients and provides a non-pharmacologic alternative to opiates,” explained Dr. David Rhew, Chief Medical Officer and Head of Health Care and Fitness for Samsung Electronics America in a statement. “This project is exciting and groundbreaking in that it will be the first to evaluate the economic benefits of virtual reality in the setting of workers compensation.”

Special Reports /

Using virtual reality to manage chronic pain

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