VR games tested as pain relief for children
NCT ID NCT07630350
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jul 31, 2026 · Updated 3 times
Summary
This study tests whether combining virtual reality games with physical therapy can reduce chronic pain in children aged 7 to 21. Twenty participants with pain in the head, neck, or upper limbs will attend six weekly sessions. They will play VR games designed to encourage movement and do exercises guided by a therapist. The goal is to see if this approach lowers pain intensity and improves daily function.
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 gaming and physical therapy exercises
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could offer a new, engaging way to help children manage chronic pain in the head, neck, and upper limbs without relying solely on medication.
- What could go wrong
- This is a very small, early study with only 20 participants and no control group, so results may not apply to all children. The benefit of VR over standard care is unproven.
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
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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
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About 20 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Jul 2026
- Expected to finish
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Mar 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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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
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7 to 21 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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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: * Patients 7-21 years of age * Patients who have been evaluated in the pediatric chronic pain clinic during the enrollment period or last 12 months * Patients who have a diagnosis of migraine, chronic neck pain, chronic shoulder or scapular pain, chronic pain of the upper limb, complex regional pain syndrome of the upper limb, amplified musculoskeletal pain syndrome affecting the upper limb, chronic joint pain affecting the upper limb Exclusion Criteria: * Patients less than 7 years or greater than 21 years of age * Patients who have not been evaluated in the pediatric chronic pain clinic during the enrollment period or last 12 months. * Patients with primary complaints of lower back pain, hip pain, knee pain, ankle pain, or abdominal pain. * Patients with factors limit their ability to safely tolerate wearing and operating the Meta Oculus 2 virtual reality goggles, including but not limited to claustrophobia, anxiety, vestibulo-ocular dysfunction, visual impairments, significant sitting balance impairments.
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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.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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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.
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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.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh
Allison Park, Pennsylvania, 15101-4146, United States
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