No Pills Required: Virtual Reality Is Changing How Veterans Manage Chronic Pain
Instead of simply distracting users, RelieVRx combines immersive virtual environments with breathing exercises, relaxation techniques, and education about how chronic pain affects the brain. Veterans complete the program at home while wearing a VR headset prescribed by the VA.
Dr. Livingston 
Guest Writer: Connie Simon, Co-Founder of Green Vistas
“I never thought a headset could help more than another prescription. I was wrong.” — Army Veteran
For years, many veterans have lived with chronic pain that affects nearly every part of life. Back injuries, joint pain, combat injuries, and the emotional strain of military service often continue long after returning home.
For many, the usual answer has been medication.
Today, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is offering another option.
Through its Whole Health program, the Veterans Administration (VA) is helping veterans manage pain using innovative, drug-free technologies that treat the whole person, not just the symptoms.
One of the most exciting advances is RelieVRx, an FDA-authorized virtual reality (VR) therapy.
Instead of simply distracting users, RelieVRx combines immersive virtual environments with breathing exercises, relaxation techniques, and education about how chronic pain affects the brain. Veterans complete the program at home over eight weeks while wearing a VR headset prescribed by the VA.
The results have been encouraging.
Clinical studies found participants experienced approximately a 28% reduction in pain along with significant improvements in anxiety and overall well-being.
The VA has already distributed thousands of VR headsets through more than 170 medical centers nationwide, making this technology available to eligible veterans across the country.
Programs like RelieVRx reflect a growing understanding that pain involves both the body and the brain. By helping calm the nervous system and teaching new coping skills, many veterans discover they can regain activities they once thought were lost.
No surgery.
No additional medication.
Just another tool that may help veterans move toward a better quality of life.
NOTE: If you’re a veteran living with chronic pain, ask your VA provider whether the Whole Health program or RelieVRx may be appropriate for you.
