Mixed Reality embodiment as therapeutic interventions for chronic musculoskeletal (MSK) pain: Leveraging body illusions in therapeutic encounters
Project partners: Arts University Bournemouth, Health Sciences University
A collaboration between the Creative Technology Research Group at Arts University Bournemouth (AUB) and the Health Sciences University (HSU) is exploring how immersive extended reality (XR) technologies can enhance therapeutic encounters by making pain experiences visible, believable, and dynamic.
Chronic musculoskeletal (MSK) pain affects millions worldwide, yet traditional approaches often fail to address the lived experience of pain. Modern explanations of human perception increasingly confirm that human experience is a result of how brains predict what is perceived (Friston, 2019) based on multiple cues, not only from the body but also the wider environment and lived experiences of patients, with pain being a particular type of perception. For example, research shows that pain is shaped not only by physical factors but also by expectations, beliefs, prior experiences and even the treatment environment (Mourkojannis et al 2025; Caneiron et al 2021; Vase et al 2025).
The project team will prototype a mixed reality system that enables patients to map their pain onto a digital body avatar, visualised in Virtual Reality (VR) or Augmented Reality (AR). Pain may appear as glowing red areas, swarming bees, or other metaphors that the patient will be able to select to individualise the effect. During manual therapy, these visuals will gradually change, shifting colour, transforming into soothing imagery, or fading away, reinforcing the sense of expectation of relief as treatment progresses.
The aim is to create an immersive experience where patients feel embodied in their avatar, strengthening the link between what they see and what they feel. Several XR approaches (VR and Mixed Reality) will be trialled, using existing creative technology facilities at AUB to build and refine prototypes.
HSU will lead on the conceptual and clinical integration of VR-manual therapy (MTVR), ensuring the prototype is grounded in both cutting-edge science and clinical feasibility. Access to HSU’s university clinic facilities will embed the prototype within a real-world therapeutic setting. The HSU’s Centre for Centre for Pain and Active Inference Research will also lead on the clinical protocols, patient safety, and compliance with research ethical standards.
This proof-of-concept will demonstrate how XR can support patient engagement, reframe pain, and enhance therapeutic impact. Outputs will include a deployable prototype for feasibility testing and user engagement data, laying the groundwork for future development, integration into self-management tools, and applications in areas such as serious games and training simulators.
The project will utilise the Innovation Studio and Creative Technology Research Group facilities at AUB and the Centre for Pain and Active Inference at HSU.
Together, these facilities ensure that the project moves from concept to demonstrable prototype: AUB provides the technical development infrastructure, while HSU anchors this in authentic therapeutic contexts with access to specialist equipment and patients.
This project is one of eight university-led collaborations awarded up to £25,000 of R&D funding from the XR Network+ XR Labs Fund to develop extended reality prototypes using facilities at UK universities.
Image from a video by Jordan Cutler.
Categories: Health, Research, Technology