Engineering Mechanics

Proceedings Vol. 27/28 (2022)

ENGINEERING MECHANICS 2022

Copyright © 2022 Institute of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague

 

Romanek J., Gruszka G., Chmura M., Ples M., Kieś W., Wodarski P., Jurkojć J.
pages 337 - 340, full text

According to GlaxoSmithKline survey, 93% of people surveyed experienced pain and 34% of them feel pain on a daily basis. Pharmacologically, pain treatment is classified based on its strength into no opioid; weak but opioid and strong but opioid medications. New approach to pain treatment aims to avoid using medication and what seems to be a promising way is use of virtual reality technology (VR). This paper aims to explore use of VR in alleviating pain experiencing in healthy participants. Feeling of pain was induced through use of bowl filled with water and ice cubes providing access to environment at CA. 0°C, and a bowl filled with water at 35°C. Measurements were performed in real environment and two virtual ones, displayed through use of HTC Vive HMD. Virtual sceneries were supposed to give sensations of environmental warmth and cold by showing two different rooms to participants. Sceneries were used in random order. During use of each scenery, the participant was supposed to submerge its hand in selected bowl. After selected time has passed, or when the participant could no longer keep its hand in water it was taken out, the pain sensation was reported by the participant, and while using thermometer we waited for the hand temperature to return to pre-measurement one.

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All papers were reviewed by members of the scientific committee.