RT Journal Article
T1 Immersive virtual reality–based manual therapy training: a mixed‑methods trial
A1 Trinidad‑Fernández, Manuel
A1 Bossavit, Benoît
A1 Fuentes‑Abolafio, Ivan José
A1 García‑Conejo, Celia
A1 Mayorga-Vega, Daniel
A1 Díaz‑Balboa, Estíbaliz
A1 Cuesta-Vargas, Antonio
K1 Realidad virtual
K1 Educación
K1 Aprendizaje
K1 Fisioterapia
AB Manual therapy mobilizations are common therapeutic practices for musculoskeletal conditions,but their acquisition presents significant challenges as it requires the precise, coordinated,and safe execution of specific movements. Traditional teaching approaches oftenrely on subjective feedback and offer limited real-time guidance, which may hinder skillacquisition. In recent years, immersive Virtual Reality (iVR) has emerged as a promisingeducational tool, showing potential to enhance learning experiences and increase studentmotivation. This study aimed to develop and validate a novel teaching approach for manualtherapy mobilizations by integrating iVR as a complementary tool in undergraduateeducation, allowing students to practice techniques with greater precision and efficiency.A mixed-methods cluster randomized controlled trial was conducted with undergraduatestudents who had no prior experience with the technique. An iVR application for headmounteddisplays was developed to teach a knee mobilization technique. Students in theexperimental group used the iVR application alongside a traditional instructional session,while the control group received traditional teaching only. Quantitative and qualitativedata related to usability, iVR experience, and learning experience were collected after thesession. Results showed that students in the experimental group reported higher engagementand motivation when learning manual therapy techniques, although some perceivedthe traditional method as simpler. Learning experience outcomes indicated improved coordinationof translational and rotational movements among iVR users, which is essentialfor effective manual therapy mobilization. Overall, these findings suggest that iVR canserve as an effective supplementary tool to conventional teaching methods, contributing toenhanced learning and performance outcomes.
PB Springer
YR 2026
FD 2026
LK https://hdl.handle.net/10630/46576
UL https://hdl.handle.net/10630/46576
LA eng
NO Trinidad-Fernández, M., Bossavit, B., Fuentes-Abolafio, I. J., García-Conejo, C., Mayorga-Vega, D., Díaz-Balboa, E., & Cuesta-Vargas, A. (2026). Immersive virtual reality–based manual therapy training: A mixed-methods trial. Educational technology research and development. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-026-10620-3
NO Funding for open access charge: Universidad de Málaga / CBUA
DS RIUMA. Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Málaga
RD 25 may 2026