GREENSBORO, N.C. --Physical therapy patients at BreakThrough Physical Therapy are doing more than exercising their bodies to heal.

  • Patients are using virtual reality to learn about their pain
  • BreakThrough's CEO Jeff Hathaway says they want to get people back to normal life as quickly as possible
  • The virtual reality sessions can last anywhere from five minutes to 30

They're also using virtual reality to learn about their pain. The program is only a few months old, but is already getting positive reaction.

One patient, Hollie Davis, was injured in a motorcycle accident and wanted an alternative to opioids to deal with her pain.

"I like the idea of trying to handle the pain on your own, and how mindset, I'm all about mindset and how you can handle that," Davis said. She likes the virtual reality because it's taught her coping mechanisms for painful situations.

Recently, she used them to battle a migraine.

"Because crying in a migraine, if you've ever had one, makes it worse. So, it helped me keep from doing that. It helped me keep me calm and manage that pain."

BreakThrough's CEO Jeff Hathaway says they want to get people back to normal life as quickly as possible. Education about their pain can take away the fear of it, which can help them control it.

"Our goal isn't necessarily that we can get rid of pain, that happens in some cases, but can we reduce the pain and give them the control over it so that they can get back to life," Hathaway said.

The virtual reality sessions can last anywhere from five minutes to 30. 

Get the latest news, sports and weather delivered straight to your inbox. Click here to sign up for email and text alerts.