Entering the metaverse-Immersive VR in acute rehabilitation

One barrier to full participation during occupational therapy is acute pain. Pain can change or reduce physical movements due to fear and guarding, as well as influence mood because it has both physical and cognitive components (Vadivelu, et al., 2017). Clients may refuse therapy entirely due to pain. When not properly managed, acute pain can progress into chronic pain. Current treatment for acute pain can include opioid drugs, which can reduce pain but are highly addictive and easily abused, and have terrible side effects (Farrar et al., 2003; Pino et al., 2023). Pain management and treatment costs the United States more than $100 billion a year due to opioid dependence and insufficient treatments for pain (Dydyk & Conermann, 2023). Due to the opioid epidemic and the chronic pain crisis, the medical profession is in search of non-opioid alternatives to help treat clients' acute pain before it can progress to chronic pain (Pergolizzi et al., 2021).