Application Progress of Virtual Reality Technology for the Treatment of Spinal Cord Injury
10.13471/j.cnki.j.sun.yat-sen.univ（med.sci）.2025.0304
- VernacularTitle:虚拟现实技术在脊髓损伤患者治疗中的应用进展
- Author:
Beibei ZHANG
1
;
Yafeng REN
1
Author Information
1. The First Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Chinese Medicine， Zhengzhou 450000， China
- Publication Type:Review
- Keywords:
spinal cord injury;
virtual reality;
assessment;
treatment;
application
- From:
Journal of Sun Yat-sen University(Medical Sciences)
2025;46(3):391-400
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
Spinal cord injury （SCI） is a prevalent neurological disorder that often results in motor， sensory， cognitive， balance， and walking impairments， and can even lead to pain， significantly affecting the physical and mental health and quality of life of patients. Conventional treatment methods， primarily conducted in hospital settings， tend to be monotonous and lack engagement， leading to low patients’ compliance， motivation and cooperation. In contrast， virtual reality （VR） technology can serve as an effective adjunctive therapeutic approach， immersing patients in simulated virtual environments for functional training in specific contexts and tasks， thereby providing a sense of real experience to achieve assessment and therapeutic outcomes. The interactive and engaging nature of VR technology markedly enhances patients’ interest and motivation in treatment， offering new possibilities for home-based rehabilitation and presenting patients with alternative treatment options. This review systematically introduces the application of VR technology in the treatment of patients with SCI， focusing on its roles in assessing functional impairments， improving motor function， enhancing balance and walking abilities， alleviating pain， and promoting recovery from cognitive and psychological disorders， as well as its impact on other functional impairments and its combined use with other technologies. Furthermore， this article delves into the current advantages and limitations of VR technology， aiming to deepen the understanding of VR among physicians and therapists， promote its widespread clinical application， advance the field of rehabilitation medicine， provide theoretical foundations and directions for future research， and offer new insights and references for clinical practice.
