Virtual Reality Rehabilitation and Exergames—Physical and Psychological Impact on Fall Prevention among the Elderly—A Literature Review

• Main Authors: Joanna Piech, Krzysztof Czernicki
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2021-04-01
• Series: Applied Sciences
• Subjects: virtual reality; exergames; falls prevention; rehabilitation; elderly
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/9/4098

The present review is aimed at the effectiveness of virtual reality (VR) and exergames in the prevention of falls among the elderly. Falls become a significant problem in the aging population and lead to psychological, social, and physical impairment. Prevention of falls is crucial to the well-being of the elderly population and is one of the challenges of contemporary rehabilitation. Recently, in view of the threat of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, contactless methods of rehabilitation, including telerehabilitation, appear as valuable rehabilitation tools. This review is based on the PRISMA guidelines and was carried out in five databases: PubMed, Medline, Web of Science, Scopus, and PEDro. Twenty-one randomized controlled trials, focused on the application of VR and exergames in the prevention of falls, were included. This review suggests that VR training in rehabilitation appears to be a promising complement to traditional techniques of physiotherapy to improve specific physical outcomes. VR and exergames could be considered as a complement of standard physiotherapy and its possible continuation at home for elderly. However, further high-quality studies, with carefully designed protocols and proper blinding, are needed.