Can Virtual Reality Exercise Help Restore Both Body and Mind in Chronic Low Back Pain
For patients and families
In plain language
An automatic summary of structured registry data. It is an orientation aid, not a substitute for the official protocol or a physician assessment.
- What is being studied
- The protocol lists: Immersive Virtual Reality-based Exercise (FitXR, Meta Quest 3s), Conventional Exercise Program (Matched Exercise, without VR).
- Who it may be relevant to
- Registry conditions: Virtual Reality, Kinesiophobia, Chronic Low Back Pain (CLBP), Central Sensitization. Basic parameters: 18 years — 40 years · All.
- What needs checking
- Age, condition and sex are only basic indicators. Prior treatment, laboratory values and other mandatory requirements appear in the eligibility criteria below.
- Where it takes place
- South Korea
- Next step
- Save the trial, show it to the treating physician, and confirm current recruitment with the study center. Costs, documents and travel →
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Official title
Effects of Immersive Virtual Reality-based Exercise on Somatosensory Function, Pain, and Psychological and Functional Recovery in Patients With Chronic Low Back Pain
Overview
The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if an immersive virtual reality (VR) exercise program can help reduce back pain and improve physical function and psychological well-being in adults with chronic low back pain. The main questions it aim to answer are * Does the virtual reality (VR) exercise reduce back pain? * Does it lead to positive changes in how participants perceive pain? * Does it improve back flexibility and reduce disability in daily activities? * Does it help reduce the fear of movement and negative thoughts related to pain? Method Wear a Meta Quest 3s device and participate in a 15-minute virtual reality exercise program called 'FitXR'. Be evaluated for their back pain, sensory test, range of motion, and level of disability in daily life before and after the exercise program. Complete questionnaires about their thoughts and feelings regarding their pain and movement.
Interventions
- Behavioral Immersive Virtual Reality-based Exercise (FitXR, Meta Quest 3s)
participants assigned to the intervention group will perform a 15-minute immersive virtual reality (VR) exercise program using the FitXR application on the Meta Quest 3s headset. This program provides interactive, visually immersive exercise tasks designed to engage participants in physical activity while reducing fear of movement and enhancing functional recovery. - Behavioral Conventional Exercise Program (Matched Exercise, without VR)
Participants assigned to this arm will perform the same 15-minute exercise program without virtual reality equipment. This allows comparison between immersive VR-based exercise and conventional exercise of equivalent intensity and duration.
Primary outcome measures
- Quantitative Sensory Testing (QST): Specifically including Conditioned Pain Modulation (CPM) and Temporal Summation (TS) protocols. [Time frame: Measured at Week 1 (baseline), Week 6 (post-intervention), and Week 8 (follow-up).]
Secondary outcome measures (6)
- Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia-13 (TSK-13) [Time frame: Measured at Week 1 (baseline), Week 6 (post-intervention), and Week 8 (follow-up).]
- Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS) [Time frame: Measured at Week 1 (baseline), Week 6 (post-intervention), and Week 8 (follow-up).]
- Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) [Time frame: Measured at Week 1 (baseline), Week 6 (post-intervention), and Week 8 (follow-up).]
- Fear-Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire (FABQ) [Time frame: Measured at Week 1 (baseline), Week 6 (post-intervention), and Week 8 (follow-up).]
- Visual Analog Scale (VAS) [Time frame: Measured at Week 1 (baseline), Week 6 (post-intervention), and Week 8 (follow-up).]
- Lumbar Range of Motion (ROM) [Time frame: Measured at Week 1 (baseline), Week 6 (post-intervention), and Week 8 (follow-up).]
Eligibility criteria
Inclusion criteria
- Age 18-40 years.
- Non-specific chronic low back pain lasting ≥3 months.
- Baseline pain intensity VAS ≥4/10.
- Kinesiophobia (TSK-13) ≥34.
- Able to perform physical activity using immersive VR (screened as suitable for head-mounted display-based activity).
- Understands the study purpose and procedures and provides written informed consent.
Exclusion criteria
- Severe pain making participation infeasible: VAS ≥8/10.
- Lumbar spine surgery within the past 6 months.
- Severe musculoskeletal disorders (e.g., advanced osteoarthritis, pathological vertebral fracture).
- Neurological disorders (e.g., multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, stroke).
- Cardiovascular disease (e.g., heart failure, clinically significant arrhythmia, recent myocardial infarction).
- Simulator Sickness Questionnaire (SSQ): total score ≥20 or any single item scored 3.
- Vulnerable populations excluded: minors, older adults, individuals with psychiatric disorders or cognitive impairment, and pregnant persons.
Criteria are shown verbatim from the registry (in English). Final eligibility is always assessed by the study center.
Healthy volunteers: No
Study design
- Allocation
- Randomized
- Model
- Parallel assignment
- Masking
- Open label
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
Study locations
South Korea · 1 center
- Sahmyook University, Science Hall 3 — Seoul
Identifiers
NCT: NCT07207083 · SYU 2025-08-019-002