Upper
extremity
Virtual Reality now makes it possible to optimize the rehabilitation of the upper extremities both in terms of amplitude gain and functional recovery.
It is a real answer to Kinesiophobia in shoulder, elbow and wrist pathologies. Immersion of the patient in a virtual reality environment diverts his attention (no direct visualization of the MS) and makes the objective to be reached fun, allowing without him realizing it, to increase its amplitudes in real time.
These are also new tools for management such as the Immersive Virtual Reality Mirror Therapy, allowing to treat wrist/hand SDRCs with the [Mirror & Ball] exercise and shoulder SDRCs with the [Electric Path].
In addition, Ramashandran's studies on Mirror Therapy show its major interest in combating phantom limb pain in amputees (soon available for the lower limb as well). This tool is currently the only application of Mirror Therapy in immersive Virtual Reality, but especially in real time to optimize neuronal plasticity.
A few examples of conditions that can be treated with virtual reality:
- Shoulder Tendinopathies, Rotator Cuff Rupture
- SDRC (Algoneurodystrophies)
- Fractures
- Shoulder Prostheses
- Luxations
- Amputees (phantom limb pain control)
And in concrete terms,
How's it going?
Let's take the example of a 60-year-old patient with supraspinatus tendinopathy with CRCS.
The protocol recommended for this type of pathology would be:
1First of all, the Physiotherapist carries out an assessment:
- Evaluation of shoulder joint amplitudes and pain thresholds with the [Upper Limb ROM] assessment as well as of the cervical spine with [Cervical Range of Motion] in only 1 minute.
2Then a Multidisciplinary Rehabilitation with Physiotherapist & Occupational Therapists would be done:
- Working on body schema and Kinesiophobia in Mirror Therapy with the exercises [Mirror], [Mirror & Ball ] and [Electric Path].
- Gain analytical joint range of motion with auto-correction to avoid compensation with the modules : [ShoulderVR], [Upper Limb Tracking], and overall with the [Electric Course], [ReflexVR], [Target Tracking] and [Whack-A-Mush].
- Exercises [ArcVR], [BirdVR ] and [SupermarketVR ] for a recovery of self-confidence.
Some of the exercises mentioned:
