Therapeutic virtual reality in rheumatology: a narrative review

Tsigarides, Jordan, Sabu, Benjamin Kannuralil, Al-Amri, Mohammad ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2806-0462, Hughes, Sam and Fuggle, Nicholas 2025. Therapeutic virtual reality in rheumatology: a narrative review. touchREVIEWS in RMD 10.17925/rmd.2026.5.1.2 Item availability restricted.

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Abstract

Therapeutic virtual reality (VR) is an evolving digital health technology with the potential to address complex, multidimensional symptoms across chronic diseases. In rheumatology, pervasive symptoms such as chronic pain, fatigue and fear of movement remain substantial despite conventional therapies. VR offers a unique opportunity to deliver therapeutic content through immersive, engaging experiences that can address a wide range of clinical and psychological needs. Its capacity for personalization, interactivity and remote accessibility makes it a promising non-pharmacological tool for supporting self-management and expanding access to care in the home setting. This structured narrative review aims to describe the current literature on immersive therapeutic VR across a broad spectrum of rheumatological conditions, including chronic low back pain, chronic neck pain, complex regional pain syndrome, fibromyalgia syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis and others. The review explores a range of VR interventions, from embodiment and sensorimotor training to attention modulation and guided meditation. It also examines study design characteristics and highlights methodological limitations. By identifying current trends, gaps and challenges, this article provides a foundation for future research and guides the development of clinically meaningful, scalable and accessible immersive VR therapeutics in rheumatology.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Published Online
Status:	In Press
Schools:	Schools > Healthcare Sciences
ISSN:	2635-1420
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	27 November 2025
Date of Acceptance:	11 August 2025
Last Modified:	28 Nov 2025 13:00
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/182715

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