Virtual Reality for Therapy: How Startups Are Helping Seniors and Patients

When it comes to virtual reality, gaming is one of the first things that come to mind. But virtual reality also has uses outside of gaming, like education or health. Virtual reality and mental health haven’t been explored as much yet. However, one startup tries to change that notion. Rendever has created a virtual reality for therapy for seniors. Let’s read more about them below.

Rendever

Young men dominate the demographic for virtual reality (VR) use. In fact, the Global Web Index found that 35% of men in the 16 to 34 demographic had used VR. Although that’s the case, Rendever appears to challenge that by letting seniors have all the fun with VR and address isolation and loneliness when seniors live in centers.

But what does Rendever have to offer? The company uses a 3R approach:

• Relive – This helps seniors take a trip down memory lane.
• Reconnect – Being in a senior center may limit seniors from going outside. But this approach helps them go outside through VR and explore communities and other places.
• Reinspire – Living in a senior center can also limit interactions with people. This approach helps seniors talk to loved ones and other people virtually.

Rendever also has RendeverFit. So far, it’s available as a VR platform for senior health care. Maddie Bender (The Daily Beast reporter) recounted her experiences with the new platform. Although the demo was fun for Bender, there was one twist. While she was pedaling a portable exercise bike, it turns out the controls for her bike were for another player: Alex Maugeri of Rendever. Even if this is the case, it was still an enjoyable activity.

But Rendever doesn’t stop at helping seniors through VR. One notable example of their tech has been music therapy for cancer patients in UCHealth. Their VR tech helps patients during treatment and post-surgical applications.

Other Uses of Virtual Reality for Therapy

Rendever’s approach to mental health makes us wonder, how else can other tech startups help individuals and other communities through health?

Rocket VR Health

Here’s another startup helping patients through VR. Their approach to virtual reality for therapy is slightly different from Rendever. Although Rendever has helped cancer patients, Rocket VR Health uses an evidence-based approach and immersive therapy for psychosocial treatment. Their startup helps cancer patients and survivors. 

They provide patients and survivors access to support groups and communities. Plus, their tech has built-in breathtaking imagery, helping patients or survivors stay calm and help with their overall wellbeing.

AppliedVR

AppliedVR is another health startup using immersive therapeutics. Their startup was the first to get FDA approval for virtual reality for therapy for chronic back pain.

One of their goals is to address the misuse of opioids in the USA. And through their immersive therapeutic approach, they want to help those with chronic pain with VR. Their program the RelieVRx helps those with chronic pain by:

• Dynamic breathing
• Education
• Games to distract them from the pain
• Relaxation activities
• Mindful escapes

Other Unconventional Approaches

Bender also reported two other known approaches in VR mental health therapy.

One such use is probably one of the earliest studies about VR mental health therapy is SpiderWorld. It was a treatment for those with arachnophobia and burn victims.

Although SpiderWorld didn’t exactly have positive outcomes, the treatment was done in conjunction with patients playing MarioKart or Wave Race. The study disclosed that patients didn’t think about pain while playing video games and had thought of pain while holding or touching virtual spiders.

One other treatment actually comes from AppliedVR. Although they have soothing and relaxing activities, one in particular involved the user jumping from a skyscraper. Of course, that was done virtually. Walter Greenleaf criticized this approach as this exercise may not help in treating pain.