Virtual nature scenes provide relief from chronic pain

A recent study has revealed that immersion in virtual reality (VR) nature scenes can significantly ease the symptoms of chronic pain.

The strongest benefits appeared in participants who felt deeply present during the experience, enhancing comfort and reducing pain sensitivity effectively over time.

The research, led by the University of Exeter, involved an immersive 360-degree nature films through VR against standard 2D video images. VR proved almost twice as effective in reducing pain perception.

Chronic pain, which lasts for more than three months, can be challenging to treat. The researchers simulated this condition in healthy participants.

The experts discovered that VR nature scenes produced pain-relieving effects similar to painkillers. These effects persisted for at least five minutes after the VR experience ended.

Virtual reality and chronic pain

The study was led by Dr. Sam Hughes, senior lecturer in pain neuroscience at the University of Exeter.

“We’ve seen a growing body of evidence show that exposure to nature can help reduce short term, everyday pain, but there has been less research into how this might work for people living with chronic or longer-term pain,” said Dr. Hughes.

“Also, not everyone is able to get out for walks in nature, particularly those living with long term health conditions like chronic pain. Our study is the first to look at the effect of prolonged exposure to a virtual reality nature scene on symptoms seen during long term pain sensitivity.

According to Dr. Hughes, the results suggest that immersive nature experiences can reduce the development of this pain sensitivity through an enhanced sense of presence and through harnessing the brains in-built pain suppression systems.

Virtual nature scenes as therapy

The study, funded by the Academy of Medical Sciences, involved 29 healthy participants. The researchers applied pain to the forearm using electric shocks and then measured pain changes over a 50-minute period.

Participants developed pain sensitivity similar to nerve pain in the absence of nature scenes. On a separate visit, the same participants experienced a 45-minute VR nature session featuring the waterfalls of Oregon.

The scene was selected to enhance therapeutic outcomes. On another occasion, participants viewed the same nature scenes on a 2D screen for comparison.

Feeling present in VR lowers pain

The participants also completed questionnaires about their pain experience and how present they felt in each scenario. Additional visits included MRI brain scans at the University of Exeter’s Mireille Gillings Neuroimaging Centre.

Here, researchers induced ongoing pain using a cold gel and examined how participants’ brains responded.

The immersive VR experience significantly reduced the spread and intensity of pain sensitivity. These benefits lasted through the entire 45-minute session. Participants who felt more present during the VR experience reported greater pain relief.

Why virtual nature scenes work

The brain scans revealed that participants with stronger connections in brain regions regulating pain experienced less discomfort. VR nature scenes altered the way pain signals travel in the brain and spinal cord, especially for chronic pain conditions.

“We think VR has a particularly strong effect on reducing experience of pain because it’s so immersive. It really created that feeling of being present in nature – and we found the pain – reducing effect was greatest in people for whom that perception was strongest,” said Dr. Sonia Medina.

“We hope our study leads to more research to investigate further how exposure to nature effects our pain responses, so we could one day see nature scenes incorporated into ways of reducing pain for people in settings like care homes or hospitals.”

Using VR to treat chronic pain

The findings indicate that VR-based nature experiences could become part of pain management strategies. Future research will explore how this technology could benefit people living with chronic pain, especially those unable to access outdoor environments.

Researchers hope these immersive experiences can complement existing therapies, improve quality of life, and offer accessible solutions for patients in hospitals, care homes, and other clinical settings where natural outdoor exposure is limited.

The study is published in the journal Pain.

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