Implementing a Virtual Reality Game for Measuring Neck Mobility and Increasing Rehabilitation Compliance

Rationale, Aims and Objectives
Neck mobility assessment is important in rehabilitation, but conventional methods may be less engaging and harder to scale for repeated use. This study addresses the need for a low-cost, immersive approach by implementing HeadTurner VR, a virtual reality game designed to measure neck mobility while encouraging rehabilitation compliance. This study aimed to examine whether HeadTurner VR could accurately and reliably measure and record neck movements in an immersive environment. Using 35 participants from a student population, the objectives were to implement the VR exergame, capture a range of neck movements, and evaluate its potential as a practical rehabilitation assessment tool.

Research Findings
This study found that the HeadTurner VR application could measure and record multiple neck rotations in three-dimensional planes in real time using an immersive VR game environment. In a student sample of 35 participants, the recorded neck mobility data showed similarities to values reported in comparable studies using standard cervical measurement devices, supporting the system’s initial measurement credibility. The research also reported that the application showed promising early accuracy and reliability as a low-cost, objective tool for neck rehabilitation assessment. At the same time, it identified that further analysis is needed, particularly to examine how factors such as gender, age, and weight may influence neck range of motion and system performance.

Policy Implications
Policies for musculoskeletal rehabilitation could support the use of validated, low-cost VR tools such as HeadTurner VR for home and community assessment, as the study identifies a need for portable systems that improve monitoring, motivation, and exercise compliance in neck rehabilitation. Health services should also require clear validation, procurement, and clinical governance standards before routine adoption, since the findings report promising early accuracy and reliability, but note that further testing is still needed across demographics such as age, gender, and weight.

Industry Recommendations
Industry should prioritise low-cost, portable VR rehabilitation tools that combine accurate movement tracking with engaging game design, as HeadTurner VR was developed to support both neck mobility assessment and rehabilitation compliance and showed promising early accuracy, reliability, and low simulator sickness. Companies should also build in accessibility, inclusive design, and early clinical validation so products are usable across diverse patient groups and suitable for wider implementation.