RETRAIN YOUR BODY PERCEPTION
REDUCE YOUR PAIN
Soma Rem uses embodied virtual avatar simulations
as neuroplastic tools to reduce pain
Disturbances in body perception are increasingly acknowledged as a pertinent feature of chronic pain. Compared to healthy individuals, patients afflicted with chronic pain exhibit neural alterations linked to body perceptions, and subjectively often report alterations in perceived shape, size, or color that differ from objective assessment. Furthermore, the degree of body perception distortion positively correlates with pain, where those in more severe pain also report more extensive body perception disturbances. Interestingly, interventions aimed at reducing body perception distortions correspondingly ameliorate pain.
​
Body illusions have demonstrated both experimental and clinical efficacy to reduce a number of chronic pain conditions, including osteoarthritis, complex regional pain syndrome, and neuropathic pain. Our body-focused immersive virtual reality application represents a promising new avenue for the treatment of chronic pain.