The Use of Virtual Reality in Physiotherapy Practice: A Review Article

Authors

Bhumi Srivastava

BPT 4th year student, Amity University Rajasthan, Jaipur (India)

Kritika Singh

Assistant Professor, Amity University Rajasthan, Jaipur (India)

Anchit Gugnani

Professor and Head of department, Amity University Rajasthan, Jaipur (India)

Article Information

DOI: 10.51584/IJRIAS.2026.11100052

Subject Category: Physiotherapy

Volume/Issue: 11/10 | Page No: 759-766

Publication Timeline

Submitted: 2026-07-18

Accepted: 2026-07-23

Published: 2026-11-05

Abstract

Aim– To explore how virtual reality is being used in physiotherapy practice and what benefits it offers in terms of clinical outcomes.
Background - Virtual reality (VR) has emerged as a promising tool in physiotherapy, offering immersive, engaging, and patient-centered rehabilitation experiences. It has shown positive outcomes across various conditions including stroke, musculoskeletal disorders, and neurological impairments, enhancing motivation and functional recovery.
Method – A literature search was conducted on google scholar, and researchGate, Out of approximately 50 articles, 16 were selected based on inclusion and exclusion criteria and were reviewed to understand the clinical role of VR in physiotherapy.
Result - The review revealed that virtual reality interventions significantly improved patient outcomes such as balance, mobility, pain reduction, and engagement compared to conventional physiotherapy. Most studies reported enhanced adherence and functional recovery, especially in stroke, orthopedic, and neurological rehabilitation settings.
Conclusion – VR shows strong potential as a supportive tool in physiotherapy. It makes rehabilitation more interactive and effective although more research is needed to fully understand its long-term impact and best practices for use.

Keywords

Balance, Motor Function, Physiotherapy, Rehabilitation, Virtual Reality

Downloads

References

1. Stolwijk N, van Bergen A, Jetten E, Maas M, Berkhout JJ, Driessen E, et al. Preparing physiotherapists for the future: the development and evaluation of an innovative curriculum. BMC Med Educ. 2025;25:83. doi: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-024-06537-1 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

2. World Health Organization. Rehabilitation [Internet]. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2023 [cited 2025 Jul 7]. Available from: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/rehabilitation [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

3. Tan SY, Lam MC, Faburada J, Pavel MI. Immersive virtual reality: a new dimension in physiotherapy. Int J Adv Comput Sci Appl. 2023;14(10):735–9. doi: https://doi.org/10.14569/IJACSA.2023.0141009 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

4. Elser A, Kopkow C, Schäfer AG. Implementation of a virtual reality intervention in outpatient physiotherapy for chronic pain: protocol for a pilot implementation study. JMIR Res Protoc. 2024;13:e58089. doi: https://doi.org/10.2196/58089 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

5. Hashemi Zenooz G, Taheriazam A, Rezaeian T, Mokhtarinia H, Moosavi A, Zenooz SMS, et al. The effect of adding virtual reality-based rehabilitation to conventional physiotherapy on pain, functional ability and static balance control in patients with total knee arthroplasty [preprint]. Res Sq. 2024. doi: https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-5806312/v1 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

6. Stander J, du Preez JC, Kritzinger C, Obermeyer NM, Struwig S, van Wyk N, et al. Effect of virtual reality therapy, combined with physiotherapy for improving motor proficiency in individuals with Down syndrome: a systematic review. S Afr J Physiother. 2021;77(1):a1516. doi: [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

7. https://doi.org/10.4102/sajp.v77i1.1516 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

8. Zak M, Sikorski T, Michalska A, Sztandera P, Szczepanowska-Wolowiec B, Brola W, et al. The effects of physiotherapy programmes, aided by virtual reality solutions, on balance in older women: a randomised controlled trial. J Clin Med. 2024;13(21):6462. doi: https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm13216462 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

9. Usama M, Khan UA, Saeed A, Siddiqui B, Fatima SB, Azfar H. Comparative analysis of the impact of virtual reality training and conventional physiotherapy on balance and gait in older adults with Parkinson’s disease. J Health Rehabil Res. 2023;3(2):526–30. doi: [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

10. https://doi.org/10.61919/jhrr.v3i2.179 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

11. Janani RC, Natarajan S, Varadaraju N. Exploring the efficacy of physiotherapy in Guillain-Barré syndrome through virtual reality–based rehabilitation: a case report. Cureus. 2024;16(4):e59042. doi: https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.59042 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

12. Ishfaq N, Khalid A, Razzaq MN, Hashmi MT, Almagharbeh WT, et al. Post-stroke rehabilitation using virtual reality–based physiotherapy: a case report. Insights J Health Rehabil. 2025;3(2):419–24. doi: https://doi.org/10.71000/6ake0t89 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

13. Buche H, Michel A, Piccoli C, Blanc N. Contemplating or acting? Which immersive modes should be favored in virtual reality during physiotherapy for breast cancer rehabilitation. Front Psychol. 2021;12:631186. doi: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.631186 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

14. Elser A, Ohse M, Frankenstein C, Leeuw M, Schiebler S, Schmieder S, et al. Usage of virtual reality technology in physiotherapy in Germany: results from a survey. Bioengineering (Basel). 2025;12(2):106. doi: https://doi.org/10.3390/bioengineering12020106 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

15. Vasanthi RK, Chaw LJ, Purushothaman V, Kumaresan A, Chinnusamy S, Karuppaiyan R, et al. Perceived usefulness and ease of using virtual reality during physiotherapy – a cross-sectional survey from physiotherapists’ perspective. Electron J Gen Med. 2023;20(6):em530. doi: [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

16. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejgm/13519 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

17. Garay-Sánchez A, Marcén-Román Y, Ferrando-Margelí M, Franco-Sierra MÁ, Suarez-Serrano C. Effect of physiotherapy treatment with immersive virtual reality in subjects with stroke: a protocol for a randomized controlled trial. Healthcare (Basel). 2023;11(9):1335. doi: [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

18. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare11091335 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

19. Heiyanthuduwa TA, Amarapala KWNU, Gunathilaka KDV, Ravindu K, Wickramarathne J, Kasthurirathna D. VirtualPT: Virtual Reality–based home-care physiotherapy rehabilitation for elderly. 2020 2nd International Conference on Advancements in Computing (ICAC). 2020 Dec 10. doi: [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

20. https://doi.org/10.1109/ICAC51239.2020.9357281 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

21. Limited use of virtual reality in primary care physiotherapy for patients with chronic pain: a national survey among Dutch physiotherapists. BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2024;25:168. doi: [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

22. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12891-024-07285-5 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

23. Lundström A, Björnfot P, Sahlin W, Herath H, Berglund L, Strömbäck E. Virtual reality for assessment of chronic lower back pain in physiotherapy – task selection, design, and user experience evaluation. In: Gray C, Ciliotta Chehade E, Hekkert P, Forlano L, Ciuccarelli P, Lloyd P, editors. DRS2024: Boston; 2024 Jun 23–28; Boston, USA. Paper no. 372. doi: https://doi.org/10.21606/drs.2024.1297 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

24. Araújo HAGO, Souza RJ, da Silva TCO, Nascimento TS, Terra MB, Smaili SM. Immediate effect of augmented reality, virtual reality, and neurofunctional physiotherapy on postural control and executive function of individuals with Parkinson’s disease. Games Health J. 2023;12(3):211–9. doi: [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

25. https://doi.org/10.1089/g4h.2021.0222 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

Metrics

Views & Downloads

Similar Articles