Re-thinking Recovery

Man using VR headset to support health coaching program

Re-thinking Recovery

Using Virtual Reality and modern pain science to help people understand pain and re-train their brain and body

Persistent pain is a complex condition that is caused by changes within the nervous system. Pain education as part of a treatment for pain has been proven to be effective for many years now. The challenge has been delivering the education in a compelling way that individuals can understand and believe. Re-thinking Recovery can help.

Modern pain science forming an education program

For a person living with pain to engage in active treatment and self-management, they need to shift their focus to a modern reconceptualization of pain. The science shows that people who reconceptualise their pain have a far greater likelihood of recovery than those who do not.

The immersive and interactive Re-thinking Recovery program, incorporating virtual reality pain management education, facilitates this reconceptualising to a level that has been difficult to previously achieve. With IPAR’s national reach, it makes pain education and management available across Australia via a consistently repeatable intervention.

This is not a new approach. It is based on proven science, delivered in a compelling way, developed by leading pain specialists.

The benefits to participants

Participating in a structured education and movement program helps a person understand their pain and can unlock their previous fear of movement that made rehabilitation difficult.
Used as a key component of a pain management education intervention, the use of virtual reality can facilitate deep learning and conceptual change by altering sensory input.
It provides the participant with the tools and confidence to progress their rehabilitation and progression towards return to work

Who is suited to this program?

A client with an accepted primary Musculoskeletal Injury, who has experienced pain for a minimum of 12 weeks, plus any of the following:

Ongoing incapacity since injury (defined as any incapacity with no clear timeframes for full return to work)
The client self-identifying that their pain is significantly impacting function
Pain and recovery currently seem out of the client’s control
Currently using opioid medication(s) to assist with pain management

The process

Re-thinking Recovery has to designed to be delivered in collaboration with client’s current healthcare approach and will involve engagement with the entire treating team to ensure that the service is focussed on the client and their return to the life they had before their injury.

The service is tailored to client’s individual situation, goals and needs. It includes 8 sessions once per week. Sessions can be delivered in client’s home, at IPAR offices or in the workplace. Re-thinking Recovery is delivered by IPAR Pain Coaches who have a high level of expertise and experience working with people with persistent pain. Updates are provided to all parties involved in the clients recovery after every session

Boy spinning basketball while walking by father

The evidence

Real world data show that when client’s shift their understanding of the problem in chronic pain, they go on to excellent pain and disability outcomes
Health care practitioners regularly report that they find pain science education very difficult to do
Client’s challenged by pain have identified ‘better education about their condition’ as a top care priority
Painaustralia has identified better patient pain education as a key goal of the national pain strategy
Guidelines everywhere recommend education as first line intervention for chronic pain, but they do not provide the tools to consistently deliver high value, scientifically accurate education
There is very strong evidence that virtual reality enhances learning outcomes in educational interventions and that it is safe, engaging and acceptable to people with chronic pain

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