UTAH (ABC4) – The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is prompting change in the industry of chronic pain treatment.

As of Nov. 16, 2021, the FDA has authorized the marketing of a prescription-use virtual reality (VR) system called EaseVRx.

EaseVRx utilizes cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and other therapy methods to reduce symptoms of chronic lower back pain in patients 18 years or older.

“Millions of adults in the United States are living with chronic lower back pain that can affect multiple aspects of their daily life,” said Christopher M. Loftus, M.D., acting director of the Office of Neurological and Physical Medicine Devices in the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health. “Pain reduction is a crucial component of living with chronic lower back pain. Today’s authorization offers a treatment option for pain reduction that does not include opioid pain medications when used alongside other treatment methods for chronic lower back pain.”

Chronic lower back pain is one of the most prevalent pain conditions in America. Common treatments include prescription and over-the-counter medications, steroid injections, surgery, and electrical nerve stimulation. CBT has also been used to decrease pain through a cognitive approach of shifting negative beliefs patients may have about the correlation of their pain and movement.

EaseVRx works by applying the basic concepts of CBT as well as other behavior therapy techniques to address the physiological symptoms of pain and reduce them through skills-based treatment.

The device comes with a VR headset, a controller, and a breathing amplifier, which stems from the headset and monitors the patient’s breath during deep breathing exercises.

EaseVRx takes the patient through a daily eight-week treatment program made up of 56 VR sessions that range from two to 16 minutes in length. Each session provides the user with different skill sets to reduce the interference of pain in everyday activities.

To learn more about the device or to purchase your very own EaseVRx, click here.