Could a VR headset and ice pack replace painkillers after C-Section?
NCT ID NCT07696949
First seen Jul 10, 2026 · Last updated Jul 15, 2026 · Updated 2 times
Summary
This study tests whether virtual reality (VR) and cold packs, alone or together, can reduce pain and anxiety in women after a cesarean section. About 120 women will be randomly assigned to receive VR, cold therapy, both, or standard care. The goal is to see if these drug-free approaches improve recovery and comfort after surgery.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Virtual reality (head-mounted display) and cryotherapy (cold gel packs)
- What this could lead to
- If effective, these simple, non-drug methods could become standard options for managing pain and anxiety after C-sections, reducing reliance on medications.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage trial (120 participants) testing short-term effects. Results may not apply to all women or settings, and individual responses to VR or cold therapy can vary.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
-
Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
-
About 120 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
-
Jul 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
-
Oct 2026
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
-
Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
-
18 to 45 years
- Sex
-
Female participants only
- Healthy volunteers
-
Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: Female participants aged 18 to 45 years. Undergoing elective or emergency cesarean section under spinal anesthesia. Hemodynamically stable after surgery. Able to understand Arabic. Conscious, oriented, and able to complete study questionnaires. Willing to participate and provide written informed consent. Exclusion Criteria: Undergoing cesarean section under general anesthesia. Severe postoperative complications requiring intensive care. Severe visual or hearing impairment preventing virtual reality use. History of epilepsy or seizure disorder. Severe motion sickness or vestibular disorders. Known psychiatric illness interfering with outcome assessment. Cognitive impairment preventing completion of questionnaires. Skin disease, wound complications, cold hypersensitivity, Raynaud's phenomenon, or allergy/intolerance to cryotherapy. Severe intraoperative or postoperative bleeding. Refusal to participate or withdrawal of informed consent.
Get updates
Get notified about this study
Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for Anxiety are added.
By submitting, you agree to our Terms of use
Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
-
The official record
The full official record for this study. This one lists no contact details, but it is the first place any would appear.
-
A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- Impact of Cross-Sectional design in Single-File rotary system on apical debris extrusion and postoperative pain following Single-Visit root canal treatment: an in vitro and randomized clinical study
- Haptic feedback for improved interoceptive awareness and mental well-being: a comprehensive In-the-Wild study for wellness
- Comparison of perioperative analgesia nociception index (ANI) between preoperative and postoperative ultrasound-guided transversus abdominis plane Block(TAP block) in laparoscopic cholecystectomy
- The effect of stress ball use during femoral arterial sheath removal after coronary angiography on pain, anxiety, patient satisfaction, and hemodynamic parameters
- The dynamic mechanism of mindfulness intervention for emotional distress (MIED) based on ecological moment measurement
- Anrikefon injection for postoperative analgesia in thoracoscopic lung surgery: a randomized, Double-Blind, Active-Controlled, Parallel-Group, Single-Center clinical study