{"id":8373,"date":"2024-01-31T15:30:00","date_gmt":"2024-01-31T15:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/itsveterans.com\/?p=8373"},"modified":"2024-01-31T15:30:00","modified_gmt":"2024-01-31T15:30:00","slug":"virtual-reality-technology-improves-veteran-care","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/itsveterans.com\/?p=8373","title":{"rendered":"Virtual reality technology improves Veteran care"},"content":{"rendered":"

Originally published:<\/strong> 2024-01-31T15:30:00+00:00. Historical source article: benefits, rules, amounts and deadlines may have changed. Check the official source for current information.<\/p>\n

Walking into the virtual reality clinic, the future of rehabilitation is on display at Central Iowa VA<\/a>. It\u2019s very different from other methods of rehabilitative care and it looks, well, like videogame technology. While part of the appeal is that the activities are fun, they are highly developed tools rather than games.<\/p>\n

David McAdon, physical therapist assistant, puts sensors on a Veteran who agreed to demonstrate how the program works and talk about his experience.<\/p>\n

Veteran Jeff Cook (pictured above wearing headset) first heard about the VR program through Paralyzed Veterans of America and decided to try it as an option for helping with his multiple sclerosis. He joined the Iowa Army National Guard as a cannon crewmember and trained for field artillery.<\/p>\n

With his military benefits, Cook attended Northwestern College in Orange City, Iowa, and received his degree in communications in 1996.<\/p>\n

He would later be diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, a disease of the brain and spinal cord. The diagnosis would eventually mean that Cook could no longer work and would have to leave his IT position at Wells Fargo. \u201cWith my MS, I\u2019ve had a slow, steady decline, so I\u2019m not as active. When I first was diagnosed with MS, I could still run, and now I have to ride a trike that has battery assist,\u201d he shared.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m playing racquetball again.\u201d<\/h2>\n

One of the main benefits of the VR system is that it allows him to safely exercise and regain mobility, even now as he struggles with balance and is considered a fall risk. It also allows him to enjoy activities that he once thought had been lost to him.<\/p>\n

\u201cI played racquetball in college, and I tried playing it a couple years after I was diagnosed with MS but couldn\u2019t do it. I kept running into the wall. It wasn\u2019t safe for me, so I just had to accept that this sport is gone. Well, through the use of VR, I\u2019m playing racquetball again,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

There are a variety of experiences and activities available in the VR program. It allows Veterans to work on their physical and mental health issues as well as being adaptable to individual needs.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf I don\u2019t want to exercise or I\u2019m too tired, I can just go a different route and do meditation\u2014or combine the two, meditative at one point, then get a little exercise in. When I have really bad MS fatigue, we can use the pinball activity to get an excellent upper body workout. It\u2019s not until I get home that I feel how great of a workout it really is. While doing VR, you really get into the moment which is really neat.\u201d<\/p>\n

VR programs allow the user to challenge themselves<\/h2>\n

Cook likes to play video games, so the VR programs are fun for him. They even allow the user to test their limits and challenge themselves.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere was one activity. I\u2019m 10 stories up and there\u2019s a skyscraper and plank. You\u2019re able to walk out to a plank and face your fear of heights. Dave\u2019s always around you letting you know he\u2019s there and you\u2019re safe. As I was walking out onto the plank, my fear of heights kicked in and you could feel the wind pushing you side to side, see the birds flying around you\u2026 there\u2019s a helicopter that flies over. It\u2019s so realistic. To see all that and be out there, it\u2019s really surreal how you can get so immersed into that environment,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The VR program also tracks and analyses metrics from each session, allowing the clinician to measure range of motion, perform assessments, and work on improving strength and imbalance, as well as providing data to aid in the clinical decision-making process.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThe possibility to improve Veteran care is exciting.\u201d<\/h2>\n

McAdon explained the significant research and development that went into finding the right equipment and experiences for Veterans in the fast-changing world of VR technology. \u201cWe can treat a wide variety of Veterans using these VR devices. We have had many successes using VR with our Veterans that have to deal with anxiety, depression, pain, physical and functional limitations, and balance deficits on a daily basis. The new VR system and devices we have purchased allow our Veterans to improve their overall health and well-being in a safe, controlled environment while using virtual activities and experiences to work on the skills necessary to achieve their real-life functional and personal goals.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cook recommends the program for fellow Veterans. \u201cGive it a fair shot,\u201d he added. <\/p>\n

\u201cThe use of VR and the benefits we are seeing when treating our Veterans seems to be only limited by our imagination,\u201d said McAdon. \u201cThe possibility to improve Veteran care is exciting.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

Source: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs<\/a>. Its Veterans is an independent publication and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. government.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A Veteran diagnosed with multiple sclerosis stays active using virtual reality technology at Central Iowa VA.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":54,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8373","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-u-s-veterans-health-care"],"yoast_head":"\nVirtual reality technology improves Veteran care - Its Veterans<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A Veteran diagnosed with multiple sclerosis stays active using virtual reality technology at Central Iowa VA.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/itsveterans.com\/?p=8373\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Virtual reality technology improves Veteran care - 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