ArticlePloS one2023
Physiotherapist beliefs and perspectives on virtual reality supported rehabilitation for the management of musculoskeletal shoulder pain: A focus group study.
Article in PloS one, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 14 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
14 citing papers in PubMed, 20 citations in OpenAlex.
- Effects of self-directed game-based virtual reality program on upper-limb motor recovery in mild-to-moderate ischemic stroke: a randomized controlled trial.European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicine · 2026Trial
- Virtual reality in shoulder rehabilitation and shoulder arthroplasty pathways: a narrative review of current evidence and clinical perspectives.Rheumatology international · 2026Review
- Barriers and facilitators to the implementation of virtual reality as a pain management intervention in outpatient physiotherapy practices: a qualitative analysis.BMC health services research · 2026Article
- Barriers and Facilitators to the 3 Sides of Extended Reality-Rehabilitation Adoption: Scoping Review.Journal of medical Internet research · 2026Article
- Tele-Rehabilitation and Tele-Diagnostics in Shoulder Disorders: Current Evidence, Challenges, and Future Directions-A Narrative Review.Journal of clinical medicine · 2026Review
- Article
- Article
- Future advances in shoulder arthroplasty surgery.Journal of clinical orthopaedics and trauma · 2025Article
- Usability and expert validation of a virtual reality system for post-mastectomy rehabilitation.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciences · 2025Article
- Upper and Lower Limb Training Evaluation System Based on Virtual Reality Technology.Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
- Limited use of virtual reality in primary care physiotherapy for patients with chronic pain.BMC musculoskeletal disorders · 2024Article
- Cross-Cultural Adaptation, Reliability, and Validity of the Greek Version of the Fremantle Shoulder Awareness Questionnaire (FreSHAQ-GR) in Patients with Chronic Shoulder Pain.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Article
- Virtual Reality for Upper Extremity Rehabilitation-A Prospective Pilot Study.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Article
- Experiences of physiotherapists considering virtual reality for shoulder rehabilitation: A focus group study.Digital healthArticle
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors at 4 institutions in 3 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundVirtual Reality (VR) is an immersive computer-generated environment that provides a multi-sensory experience for the user. Modern technology allows the user to explore and interact with the virtual environment, offering opportunities for rehabilitation. The use of immersive VR in the management of musculoskeletal shoulder pain is relatively new and research is required to demonstrate its feasibility and effectiveness in this field.
aimThe aims of this study were, firstly, to explore physiotherapists' beliefs and perspectives of immersive VR as a platform for rehabilitation in patients with musculoskeletal shoulder pain, secondly, to identify potential barriers and facilitators to using VR in a musculoskeletal setting and thirdly, to gain insight from clinicians that would inform the development of a VR intervention for the rehabilitation of musculoskeletal shoulder pain.
methodsThis study used qualitative descriptive design methodology. A series of three focus group interviews were carried out, via Microsoft Teams. Physiotherapists received an Oculus Quest™ headset to use at home prior to the focus group interviews. A six-phase process of reflexive thematic analysis was carried out to identify themes within the data. Atlas Ti Qualitative Data Analysis software was used to facilitate thematic analysis.
resultsFive themes were identified within the data. They reflected physiotherapists beliefs that VR provides novel opportunities for shoulder rehabilitation and may offer new avenues for managing movement-related fear and improving concordance with rehabilitation. However, barriers related to safety and practical considerations associated with using VR were also identified in the final themes.
conclusionThese findings provide valuable insight into clinician acceptability of immersive VR as a platform for rehabilitation and the need for further research to answer the questions posed by physiotherapists in the current study. This research will contribute to human-centered design of VR-supported interventions for managing musculoskeletal shoulder pain.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.