Using Virtual Reality to Reduce Pain and Anxiety During Epidural Injections for Radiculopathy A Study in Adults at the General Hospital of Le Mans

What this Trial Is About

This research aims to evaluate the use of a virtual reality headset to support pain relief and reduce anxiety during epidural injections through the sacrococcygeal hiatus in patients with radiculopathy. These injections are common in rheumatology for managing radicular diseases but can cause anxiety and treatment-related pain. Although virtual reality has been studied in other medical fields for pain and anxiety management, its use in rheumatology invasive procedures remains underexplored. Participants will undergo two ultrasound-guided epidural injections through the sacrococcygeal hiatus. The study compares using a virtual reality headset during the first injection followed by the usual care without it for the second injection, or vice versa, in a randomized crossover design. This brief outpatient procedure is performed under clinical and ultrasound control with good tolerance, and the study investigates virtual reality as a psycho-corporal support method. During the study, participants will be assessed for their peri-procedural anxiety seven days after the injections, as well as immediate anxiety, pain during the intervention, satisfaction of both patient and practitioner, procedure duration, and tolerance. Questionnaires and evaluations occur immediately after the interventions, with safety and adverse events also recorded. The total study duration extends until the primary completion date in late 2026.

Interest of the Virtual Reality as an Analgesic Support and in the Management the Pre-procedural Anxiety in Rheumatology