In healthcare, a whole range of new use cases are currently emerging around the topic of metaverse and virtual reality. One approach that was scientifically investigated very early on is the area of pain management for chronic pain. One approach is the so-called distraction therapy. Here, VR is used to stimulate specific brain regions. In particular, these are the prefrontal cortex and the somatosensory cortex, which are involved in pain processing. In addition, further studies have found that VR can also stimulate the ventral striatum, the brain's reward center.
A 2019 study by Brennan Spiegel (MD, MSHS, director of Cedars-Sinai's Health Service Research) supports this approach. He contrasted a group of 61 patients who received VR therapy 3 times a week with a group of 59 patients with chronic pain. The VR group experienced reductions in pain levels of up to 25%.
Here is the direct link to the study:
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0219115