Pain
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
Extended reality used in the treatment of phantom limb pain: a multicenter, double-blind, randomized controlled trial.
Phantom limb pain (PLP) represents a significant challenge after amputation. This study investigated the use of phantom motor execution (PME) and phantom motor imagery (PMI) facilitated by extended reality (XR) for the treatment of PLP. Both treatments used XR, but PME involved overt execution of phantom movements, relying on the decoding of motor intent using machine learning to enable real-time control in XR. ⋯ Pain reduction for PME was larger than previously reported. Despite our initial hypothesis not being confirmed, PME and PMI, aided by XR, are likely to offer meaningful PLP relief to most patients. These findings merit consideration of these therapies as viable treatment options and alternatives to pharmacological treatments.
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Advancements in clinical science have shown the necessity for a paradigm shift away from a biomedical toward a biopsychosocial approach. Yet, the translation from clinical science into clinical practice is challenging. The aim of this study was to assess the short-term and mid-term changes in pain knowledge and attitudes and guideline-adherent recommendations of healthcare professionals (HCP) by means of an interdisciplinary training program (ITP) about chronic pain. ⋯ The knowledge and attitudes about pain scores improved at post-training (Δ = 9.04, 95% confidence interval 7.72-10.36) and at 6-month follow-up (Δ = 7.16, 95% confidence interval 5.73-8.59). After the training program, HCPs provided significantly more recommendations in accordance with clinical guidelines. Thus, an ITP can improve the biopsychosocial perspective of chronic pain management among HCPs in the short-term and mid-term.