Clinical Research Directory

Virtual Reality-Supported Exercise for Chronic Musculoskeletal Shoulder Disorders: a Feasibility Study

People with long-term (chronic) shoulder disorders caused by injuries, overuse or conditions (such as arthritis) often need physiotherapy. This usually includes exercise therapy to help reduce pain, rebuild strength and make every day activities easier. However, it can be hard to stick to an exercise programme. People may stop due to pain, fear of making the symptoms worse or simply loosing motivation. Virtual Reality (VR) is a technology that may help people say engaged with their exercise programmes by making exercises more enjoyable and interactive. When using a headset (similar to goggles), people can see and interact with a 3D virtual world. Their movement, especially their hands and arms, are shown as an 'avatar' (a virtual character) in this virtual world. Exercise can feel more like playing a game or engaging with tasks/challenges, rather than performing repetitive movements. This shift might help reduce focus on pain and increase motivation. VR also provides real-time feedback, helping people track their progress and adjust their movements instantly. This might lead to more accurate and consistent exercise performance and better recovery outcomes. Before we can test whether VR exercise programmes are effective for people with chronic shoulder disorders, we firstly need to understand whether it is practical and acceptable for patients to use. This 'feasibility' study will therefore involve 20 patients with chronic shoulder disorders referred for physiotherapy at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital (RNOH) in Stanmore, United Kingdom. Participants will take part in three VR exercise sessions at the RNOH over a three-week period. Levels of pain, quality of life and sleep quality etc. will be measured before and after three weeks. Interviews will also be held up to two weeks after the final session to explore people's experiences and thoughts towards the VR exercise programme. The results will help us decide if a larger study should go ahead.