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GREENSBORO, North Carolina The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports nearly 50-million Americans live with chronic pain.<\/p>\n
And many take opioids to deal with it.<\/p>\n
Now a new weapon in the fight against pain has some reaching for a virtual reality headset instead of the pill bottle.<\/p>\n
Mia Hrabec is doing amazingly well just four months out of spine surgery.<\/p>\n
\"I had what is called a meningioma which is a benign tumor on my spinal cord,\" she said.<\/p>\n
She underwent a five hour surgery to remove the tumor. But Mia was determined not to rely on opioids for pain.<\/p>\n
\"Pain medication was a concern for me because I have seen the effects on family members and loved ones.\"<\/p>\n
\"It became the quick fix, give someone a pill, and then they'll be able to do more,\" said physical therapist Jeff Hathaway of BreakThrough Therapy.<\/p>\n
Hathway says we were taught the body tells the brain how to perceive pain when the opposite is true.<\/p>\n
\"The brain decides whether the signal it's getting is important and whether you should feel pain or not.\"<\/p>\n
He says the key is giving patients the tools to desensitize their central nervous system and lower their sensitivity to pain.<\/p>\n
He's using virtual reality technology combined with physical therapy to help patients manage pain without pills.<\/p>\n
Patients are asked to rate their pain level and concentrate on mindful meditation.<\/p>\n
Mia did the VR sessions pre and post surgery.<\/p>\n
She only took three of the oxycodones she was prescribed.<\/p>\n
\"This is a game changer,\" said Hathaway.<\/p>\n
\"We can see a complete elimination or at least a reduction.\"<\/p>\n
And Mia knows it.<\/p>\n
\"You can manage your pain without pain medication.\"<\/p>\n
Mia is feeling stronger every day and says if she can do it anyone can.<\/p>\n
Breakthrough Therapy tracked post-surgical patients in the program for one year and found that the cost of care was reduced by 45% which meant fewer pain medications and fewer ER visits.<\/p>\n
If this story has impacted your life or prompted you or someone you know to seek or change treatments, please let us know by contacting Jim Mertens at jim.mertens@wqad.com<\/a> or Marjorie Bekaert Thomas at mthomas@ivanhoe.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n See the original post here: <\/p>\n YOUR HEALTH: Virtual reality could be a better pain reliever than dangerous pills - WQAD Moline<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Please enable Javascript to watch this video GREENSBORO, North Carolina The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports nearly 50-million Americans live with chronic pain. Continue reading