LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Virtual reality isn’t just for video games, but studies have shown it can also be an effective tool in education.

Dr. Patricia Benz is a physical therapist in Louisville and is a program leader that helps middle schoolers learn about pain through virtual reality. She said it decreases the fear and anxiety around pain.

“We are trying to target middle schoolers to educate them,” said Benz. “They are so used to all the video games and the type of technology is one way to make it more fun for them.

There have been 6 studies to-date conducted and the results so far have been impressive. Dr. Adriaan Louw authored a recent study following 700 kids from 9 different states and saw promising results.

“Kids are using 30 percent less pain meds six months later,” said Louw. “That’s pretty impressive for a small study we are trying to get to a bigger realm.”

Virtual reality is immersive and allows children to be involved. The tool can target the areas that are important to educate students on a subject that even some adults have trouble with. The videos teach them alternative ways to handle the pain with techniques like exercise and mediation.

“The kids that saw this video once and then came back and saw it a second time six months later actually changed their behavior,” said Benz. “They had less missed school days, less missed practices, less doctor visits, and less medication.”

TK Stone Middle School in Elizabethtown has incorporated the video into its curriculum. Principal Dane Swank said she hopes other schools consider implementing it at their institutions.

“The sooner the kids hear it the bigger the footprint there will be to reduce opioids and pain management gets a little bitter,” said Swank.

Louw egress and said that arming the next generation with knowledge will be critical in combating the opioid epidemic.

“Better support tomorrow’s adults now to equip them to deal with it. The pain world is tricky. It involves surgery, drugs, and involves a lot of things that are scary down the road,” said Louw.

ProRehab and BehaVR have helped Dr. Benz be able to lead the program in Kentucky.