Virtual Reality in SOD

The pain management for type-3 Sphincter of Oddi dysfunction remains a significant clinical challenge and the current therapeutic outcome is often frustrating and may lead to addiction of opioid pain medication. Virtual reality (VR) has emerged as a viable option for pain management, but its usage has been limited to short-term inpatient clinical trials or experimental settings. In the proposed study, we will determine the long-term efficacy of VR intervention on pain management in patients with SOD type 3. The study involves an initial screening visit and one follow-up visit at the end of the 6-week study. The participants will receive self administered VR intervention, in additional to standard-of-care treatment for pain. The study also includes 6 weeks of monitoring period (2 weeks before, 4 weeks during, and 2 weeks after the VR intervention). If the aims of the research are achieved, the study will demonstrate that virtual reality intervention may be used as a new method for pain management. This may lead to reduction in usage of opioid pain medication.