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Virtual reality balance training

Virtual reality balance training has been studied in 11 papers since 2016: 8 trials in people, 3 reviews; 3 in the past year. The newest story, Nov 9, 2026: “Virtual reality training linked to balance changes in older adults”.

Intervention

11 papers study it16 findingsUpdated

See all 11 papers on virtual reality balance training

At a glance

Independent labs found the same change in people. 8 independent labs in 7 countries.

“VR exhibited better balance and functional mobility relative to BT and CON”
Effects of 8 Weeks of Balance Training, Virtual Reality Training, and Combined Exercise on Lower Limb Muscle Strength, Balance, and Functional Mobility Among Older Men: A Randomized Controlled TrialSports health2021doi:10.1177/1941738120986803

None of its findings points the other way.

Humans: replicated by independent labs. Cells, worms or flies and mice: nothing yet.

C, W, M, H: cells, worms or flies, mice, humans. Dark: independent labs found the same change there. Light: one lab or one study. Outline: nothing yet.

Labs are independent when their papers share no last author and no institution.

  • 8 independent labs in 7 countries
  • Funders: Italian Government Ministry of Health and 3 more
  • Human trial8

Studies in people

See all 6 studies of virtual reality balance training in people

6 studies gave virtual reality balance training to people and measured what changed.

What changedDesignPeopleSource

up: Improves postural stabilityp < 0.05

up: Improves functional mobilityp < 0.05

Randomized trial8 weeks40 peopleBothaged ≥ 65 yearsOlder adultsBMC geriatrics, Jul 3, 2026

up: Improves balanceVR group mean change: + 6.1 points, p < 0.001

up: Improves functional mobilityp < 0.001

up: Increases motivationp < 0.001

Randomized trial6 weeks34 peopleBoth71.3 ± 5.4 yearsOlder adultsEuropean geriatric medicine, May 31, 2026

up: Improves balance

Randomized trial8 weeks64 peopleMen71.8 ± 6.09 yearsOlder adultsSports health, Feb 13, 2021

up: Improves balance

down: Decreases dizziness-related handicap

Treated cohort16 peopleParkinson's diseaseArquivos de neuro-psiquiatria, Feb 1, 2018

up: Improves Berg Balance Scale

Randomized trial7 weeks38 peopleParkinson's disease, modified Hoehn and Yahr stages 2.5-3BioMed research international, Jan 1, 2017

What did studies of virtual reality balance training find?

11

Studies of virtual reality balance training measured 11 outcomes; the most studied are balance (5 studies) and functional mobility (2).

Balance

upin humans5

5 studies

  1. Virtual reality balance training improves balance in humans (VR group mean change: + 6.1 points, p < 0.001).

    “Both groups demonstrated significant and sustained improvements in balance on the BBS from baseline to follow-up (VR group mean change: + 6.1 points; Conventional group mean change: + 4.3 points; both p < 0.001)”

    Human trial6 weeksn = 34

    Virtual reality linked to less fear of falling in older adults

    European geriatric medicine

  2. Virtual reality balance training improves balance in humans (relative to balance training and waitlist control).

    “VR exhibited better balance and functional mobility relative to BT and CON”

    Human trialrelative to balance training and waitlist control40 minutes, 3 times per week8 weeksmalesn = 64

    Effects of 8 Weeks of Balance Training, Virtual Reality Training, and Combined Exercise on Lower Limb Muscle Strength, Balance, and Functional Mobility Among Older Men: A Randomized Controlled Trial

    Sports health

  3. Virtual reality balance training is linked with better balance in humans (Parkinson's disease).

    “Final scoring for the Dizziness Handicap Inventory and Berg Balance Scale was better after rehabilitation.”

    HumansParkinson's diseasen = 16

    Effect of virtual reality in Parkinson's disease: a prospective observational study

    Arquivos de neuro-psiquiatria

  4. Virtual reality balance training improves balance in humans.

    “with significant improvements in balance and lower fall rates, the improvements became greater for groups using VR.”

    Review

    Effectiveness of Virtual Reality in Balance Training for Fall Prevention in Older Adults: Systematic Review

    Sports medicine and arthroscopy review

  5. Virtual reality balance training improves balance in humans (Parkinson's disease) (MD 2.09 points, 95% CI 0.86-3.33).

    “showed a mean difference (MD) of 2.09 points (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.86-3.33) on BBS favoring VR-BT compared to BT”

    ReviewParkinson's diseasen = 430

    Virtual reality balance training to improve balance and mobility in Parkinson's disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis

    Journal of neurology

Functional mobility

upin humans2

2 studies

  1. Virtual reality balance training improves functional mobility in humans (p < 0.05).

    “Statistically significant interactions were also observed for functional mobility (TUG) and SLS performance (p < 0.05).”

    Human trial8 weeksn = 40

    Virtual reality training linked to balance changes in older adults

    BMC geriatrics

  2. Virtual reality balance training improves functional mobility in humans (p < 0.001).

    “Functional mobility also improved significantly in both groups over time (Timed Up and Go, p < 0.001).”

    Human trial6 weeksn = 34

    Virtual reality linked to less fear of falling in older adults

    European geriatric medicine

Postural stability

upin humans1

1 study

  1. Virtual reality balance training improves postural stability in humans (p < 0.05).

    “the intervention group demonstrated statistically significant group × time interactions for multiple sway indices under single-task conditions”

    Human trial8 weeksn = 40

    Virtual reality training linked to balance changes in older adults

    BMC geriatrics

Motivation

upin humans1

1 study

  1. Virtual reality balance training increases motivation in humans (p < 0.001).

    “Furthermore, the VR group reported significantly higher motivation scores, specifically in enjoyment (p < 0.001) and perceived competence (p < 0.001), compared to the conventional group.”

    Human trial6 weeksn = 34

    Virtual reality linked to less fear of falling in older adults

    European geriatric medicine

Accidental falls

downin humans1

1 study

  1. Virtual reality balance training decreases accidental falls in humans.

    “with significant improvements in balance and lower fall rates, the improvements became greater for groups using VR.”

    Review

    Effectiveness of Virtual Reality in Balance Training for Fall Prevention in Older Adults: Systematic Review

    Sports medicine and arthroscopy review

Walking speed

no changein humans1

1 study

  1. Virtual reality balance training showed no clear effect on walking speed in humans (Parkinson's disease).

    “No differences were observed in walking speed.”

    ReviewParkinson's disease

    Virtual reality balance training to improve balance and mobility in Parkinson's disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis

    Journal of neurology

Mobility

upin humans1

1 study

  1. Virtual reality balance training improves mobility in humans (Parkinson's disease) (MD 1.55 s, 95% CI 0.04-3.06).

    “Eight trials (236 patients) assessing mobility showed a MD of 1.55 s (95% CI 0.04-3.06) on TUG favoring VR-BT”

    ReviewParkinson's diseasen = 236

    Virtual reality balance training to improve balance and mobility in Parkinson's disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis

    Journal of neurology

Dizziness-related handicap

downin humans1

1 study

  1. Virtual reality balance training is linked with lower dizziness-related handicap in humans (Parkinson's disease).

    “Final scoring for the Dizziness Handicap Inventory and Berg Balance Scale was better after rehabilitation.”

    HumansParkinson's diseasen = 16

    Effect of virtual reality in Parkinson's disease: a prospective observational study

    Arquivos de neuro-psiquiatria

Berg Balance Scale

upin humans1

1 study

  1. Virtual reality balance training improves Berg Balance Scale in humans (Parkinson's disease, modified Hoehn and Yahr stages 2.5-3).

    “significant between-group differences in improvement on the Berg Balance Scale for the VR telerehabilitation group (p = 0.04)”

    Human trialParkinson's disease, modified Hoehn and Yahr stages 2.5-3graded exergames using the Nintendo Wii Fit system, in-home telerehabilitation21 sessions of 50 minutes each, 3 days/week7 weeksn = 38

    Virtual Reality Telerehabilitation for Postural Instability in Parkinson's Disease: A Multicenter, Single-Blind, Randomized, Controlled Trial

    BioMed research international

More on Berg Balance Scale

Fear of falling

downin humans1

1 study

  1. Virtual reality balance training decreases fear of falling in humans (Multiple sclerosis; compared with conventional balance exercise).

    “the group x time interactions of the Functional Reach Test (F = 10.173, P = .009) and fear of falling (F = 6.710, P = .021)”

    Human trialMultiple sclerosis; compared with conventional balance exerciseCAREN virtual reality systemTwo 30-minute sessions per week6 weeks19 females, 11 malessn = 30

    The effect of balance training on postural control in people with multiple sclerosis using the CAREN virtual reality system: a pilot randomized controlled trial

    Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitation

Functional reach test

upin humans1

1 study

  1. Virtual reality balance training improves functional reach test in humans (Multiple sclerosis; compared with conventional balance exercise).

    “significant differences in favor of the VR program were observed for the group x time interactions of the Functional Reach Test”

    Human trialMultiple sclerosis; compared with conventional balance exerciseCAREN virtual reality systemTwo 30-minute sessions per week6 weeks19 females, 11 malessn = 30

    The effect of balance training on postural control in people with multiple sclerosis using the CAREN virtual reality system: a pilot randomized controlled trial

    Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitation

Latest

Dec 2025: 0Jan 2026: 0Feb 2026: 0Mar 2026: 0Apr 2026: 0May 2026: 1Jun 2026: 0Jul 2026: 2Aug 2026: 0Sep 2026: 0Oct 2026: 0Nov 2026: 03 papers in 12 months
BMC Geriatrics

Virtual reality training linked to balance changes in older adults

An eight-week randomized trial in 40 adults aged 65 or older found balance and mobility changes compared with unsupervised home exercise.An eight-week randomized trial in 40 adults aged 65 or older found balance and mobility changes compared with unsupervised home exercise.

Randomized trial · 40 peopleInterventions
Paper
European Geriatric Medicine

Virtual reality linked to less fear of falling in older adults

Fear-of-falling scores fell 4.2 points after virtual reality exercises, while conventional balance exercises produced no significant change.Fear-of-falling scores fell 4.2 points after virtual reality exercises, while conventional balance exercises produced no significant change.

Randomized trial · 34 peopleInterventions
Paper

See all 11 papers on virtual reality balance training

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