Prophylactically Limiting Phantom Limb Pain using Collaborative Virtual Reality

Phantom limb pain (PLP), experienced by up to 80% of amputees, significantly impacts quality of life and often leads to opioid dependence. This paper introduces a novel collaborative virtual reality (VR) system, Healing and Empowerment After Limb-loss in XR (HEAL-XR), designed to prophylactically address PLP immediately following amputation surgery. Unlike existing VR therapies, HEAL-XR is tailored for early intervention, adapts to diverse amputation types and limited post-operative mobility, and features a collaborative mode enabling family members or clinicians to assist patients within the virtual environment. Through a 10-week longitudinal case study of a quadruple amputee who began using the system on post-operative day one, we demonstrate HEAL-XR’s feasibility and potential efficacy. Future work will involve larger clinical trials, incorporating graded motor imagery, and refining controller attachment methods for diverse amputation scenarios.