Virtual reality is therapy for injuries

VIRTUAL REALITY THERAPY

2007

CIS101-ONL3

Virtual reality is therapy for injuries

The article Virtual reality is therapy for injuries ' addresses a cutting-edge new development in physical therapy . The Computer Assisted Rehabilitation Environment (better known as CAREN ) promises new hope for individuals plagued by injury . The system utilizes virtual reality technology to create computer simulations of outdoor activities such as surfing and jogging . Patients like Ido Borovsky are given the opportunity to simulate these activities in specialized equipment provided by motion simulation company MOTEK . Technicians monitor both patient movements

and simulation imagery , providing an intense and enjoyable physical workout for recovering patients . The 600 ,000 technology follows a long tradition of incorporating VR technology into medical settings . Benefits of the new therapy include shorter sessions multitasking skill development , more efficient pain management , and better and faster results . Doctors , though , do warn that injury recovery time still must follow a natural course , as the technology mainly addresses mobility issues

This article highlights the importance of new perspectives in medicine today . With so much medical emphasis placed on pharmacology and chemical remedies , the role that psychological health plays in illness or injury is often undermined . But psychologists have long recognized how much one 's emotional state affects physical well-being . As such , relaxation techniques have been studied and developed . One of the most effective studies of relaxation has come in the area of imagery . The visualization (and the full sensory involvement ) of pleasant scenes has produced some impressive results both in the lab and in the real world . Such techniques increase self-confidence , lower anxiety , and allow the learning of new skills and the sharpening of existing skills . Scientists disagree on why such treatments work so well , pinpointing everything from strengthened nerve pathways to altered hormonal levels to cognitive restructuring . However , despite any controversies , all researchers of imagery techniques agree that the benefits are without question

Take away all of the fancy advanced technology , and this virtual reality therapy is really an imagery exercise at its core .albeit a highly sophisticated one . It takes rehabilitation from a cold , sterile room and boosts it into the real world . When patients can feel like an extreme ' sports icon , pain is secondary . Worries are secondary . I can 't ' is xistent . Virtual reality therapy shows us that physical therapy can and should go far beyond the physical

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Virtual Reality Therapy...