The XR Placebo Effect: Healing Through Immersion Alone?

Few would argue that XR environments are becoming more realistic and there is growing evidence that this could have some very positive effects on the health of people living with a range of health issues.  

It seems that, as XR becomes more lifelike, people are becoming more willing to engage with it as a means of recuperation. But some experts are pointing out that immersion in XR worlds is only a placebo for real medicine, and will never be a complete substitute for what they consider to be standard procedures. 

However, others argue that even if it is regarded as a placebo, immersive therapies undeniably work, and by that token, they are real medical procedures. Experts also point out that the use of XR in medicine – frequently called Medical XR (MXR) – is not simply a placebo tool to take the place of recognised, but it is fast becoming a fully-functioning medical alternative. For those working in Medical XR, things are starting to get exciting.

The New Face of Medical Intervention

XR environments have demonstrated potential in facilitating both physiological and emotional recovery in numerous case studies. Virtual nature encounters are associated with less anxiety, stress, and negative emotions, whilst interactive XR games demonstrate potential for enhancing mood and fostering relaxation. Moreover, XR has been investigated as an instrument for pain alleviation and psychological rehabilitation in clinical environments, with certain research indicating uniquely favourable results.

The positive effects of XR in physiological and mental health medicine is now well documented, and there is growing evidence that it could be equally effective in more physical aspects of medical care. 

The Spano et al (above) research considered how immersion in natural and mood-lifting environments have been shown to have positive impacts on those suffering from issues such as depression and Seasonally-Affected Disorder (SAD), and has become a standard tool for treatment since COVID. The positive effects were noted and researchers started to look at how this relatively cheap but highly effective cure could be used in other medical situations. As a result, XR is now routinely used as an intervention in a number of different conditions including:

• Eating Disorders. There is now substantial evidence that XR can be used to effectively treat eating disorders. A number of studies have highlighted how XR can be used to control food cravings to reduce chronic weight gain, or to enhance body image and encourage eating where low-weight is an issue. Placing the patient in a suitably enhanced virtual environment can change a mindset so as to remove the condition.
• Phobias. Generally, phobias seem to be on the rise and have expanded to include several new concerns for people, including the fast-growing “Nomophobia”, with which a sufferer has debilitating concerns when they are separated from their mobile phone (no mobile phone phobia).
  Phobias are relatively easily treatable with immersive methods such as XR because they can put the user in the phobia-inducing environment without the jeopardy. A recent peer-review of papers on the treatment of phobias concluded that XR is also now a significant tool in treatment for everything from flight-related fears to arachnid-led terror. Anything that can be reproduced as a virtual environment can be effectively used for the treatment of phobias.

• Pain management. This is seen as a fast-growing area of Medical XR, and it is showing fantastic results. While XR is usually used in conjunction with pharmaceutical solutions, many recent investigations have found that the relaxing effects of virtual environments have a profound impact on pain management. Dr David Binder, director of innovation at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, has carried out extensive investigations into XR and says “In the past, a lot of providers were using opioids as a way to treat chronic pain. As has become clear in recent years, opioids have many downsides, and providers are thirsty for alternative treatments. That’s why there’s increasing interest in this technology, and that’s why we’re studying it.” Dr Binder is convinced that XR is the way forward with pain management, and as experiences improve, so too will its effectiveness.

• Physiotherapy and rehabilitation. This was one area where XR was seen as being of huge benefit in its early days, and it hasn’t disappointed. The gamification of conventional physiotherapy and rehabilitation techniques has demonstrated significant potential in enhancing exercise enjoyment and engagement, improving adherence to NICE-approved therapies, accelerating recovery, expanding the reach of interventions, and facilitating earlier reintegration into employment or regular life. The initial use of a ‘virtual pharmacy’ strategy in rehabilitation inside XR allowed general practitioners to ‘prescribe’ XR interventions from care records, akin to medicine prescriptions, hence enhancing the visibility and perceived effectiveness of these methods. XR enables patients to perform exercises at home while being remotely monitored by clinicians, with hospital administrators almost universally stating that this new means of delivery is also cost effective since it reduces the need to travel to therapy sessions.

Undeniably, while the use of XR in medicine has a degree of placebo about it, the results that a growing number of researchers are finding is that XR goes far beyond simply taking patients’ minds off what is ailing them. The latest serious studies are finding that XR can impact the brain in a number of surprising ways and many academics are fast realising that XR is a real contender to more traditional forms of medicine. Keep checking back for the latest updates in this exciting and growing area of XR. 

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