A study has concluded that virtual reality computer games work well with painkillers.
An Adelaide hospital team found that immersion in a virtual world of monsters and aliens helped alleviate pain in children with severe burns.
Seven children aged five to 18 were asked to play a virtual reality game while their dressing was being changed.
When playing the game on top of having painkillers, they recorded a much lower pain score, BMC Pediatrics reported.
Adelaide Women's and Children's Hospital used a game with a special headset housing two small computer screens and a special sensor allowing the child to interact and immerse themselves in a ÔvirtualÕ world where they could shoot monsters.
All of the children had also been given their usual painkiller.
The children were then asked to rate how much pain they had experienced.
Compared with when their dressings were changed under the cover of painkiller drugs alone, the children reported much less pain when they were allowed to also play the computer game.
The average pain score with drugs alone was 4.1 out of 10, compared to 1.3 out of 10 with drugs and use of the computer game.
Researchers speculate that the immersion in another world helps distract the children from the pain.
Andrew Zilouf
Children Game Play Takes Pain Away
Virtual reality computer games shoot down pain.
