VR Snow Game Functions As Pain Management

eldavojohn writes "Burn victims — especially soldiers from war — have been proven to deal with therapy and pain better when immersed in a calm, cold virtual world. The game Snow World lets players hit targets with snowballs in a winter wonderland. The results of the study show unarguably that victims handle treatment and healing much better when their mind, eyes & ears are occupied — mind over matter, indeed."

Comments

Snow necessary?

[s.bots]

I wonder if the snowy setting really makes that much of a difference, or if the main thing is that the mind is occupied with something other than pain. No mention in TFA of other test VR games.

Re:Snow necessary?

[JeanBaptiste]

I would think a calm peaceful setting would be better than fighting Onyxia in Molten Core

Re:Biochemical basis makes sense

[PolygamousRanchKid]

When I was 6 years old, I jumped out of a tree-house into a pile of leaves, and broke my ankle, and had that same type of cast. The doctor told my mother and I horror stories about a patient who tried to relieve the itching with a coat hanger, and ended up with 50 stitches. He made it a walking-cast, and told my mother to let me go out and play, and then I would forget about any itching.

So my mother let me out, looked out the window, and couldn't see me. She called for me, and I answered, "I'm up here, Mom!"

Yes, I had climbed yet another tree. With my leg in a cast.

I still don't know why Darwin hasn't got me yet.