NCT03153891

Nature as a Buffer Among People With Chronic Pain

Virtual Nature: Benefits for Older Adults Who Experience Chronic Pain?

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 23 (actual)
• Sponsor: Cornell University · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 60 Years – 90 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

This randomized controlled trial examines the effect of nature exposure on pain intensity levels among older adults who experience chronic pain. Investigators examine the effects of nature on: the experience of chronic pain, on pain catastrophizing, and on attention restoration.

Detailed description

Nature has been used to reduce pain in the context of acute pain (e.g., during painful medical procedures) but nature has not been examined as an intervention strategy to address chronic pain. Second, the mechanism though which nature might reduce the experience of pain is not well understood. Participants are cognitively intact individuals aged 60-90 who experience chronic pain and who rate their health as fair, good or excellent. Participants are randomly assigned to one of three conditions: virtual reality (VR) nature; VR built environment; or control. Researchers examine effects of VR nature exposure on the experience of chronic pain, pain catastrophizing, and on attention restoration as well as the relations among these variables.

Conditions

• Chronic Pain

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
OTHER	Natural Environment	the natural environment will be delivered via Samsung VR gear goggles with Samsung smartphone.
OTHER	Built Environment	the built environment will be delivered via Samsung VR gear goggles with Samsung smartphone.

Timeline

• Start date: 2016-07-01
• Primary completion: 2018-06-01
• Completion: 2018-06-01
• First posted: 2017-05-15
• Last updated: 2019-04-01

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States