Can VR Improve Balance in Parkinson's Disease?

We walk through a 2025 systematic review and meta-analysis that compared virtual reality with conventional therapy for balance and mobility in Parkinson’s disease: 28 randomised trials, 1,151 participants, mostly with mild to moderate disease. We explain how standardised mean differences work, what the authors’ certainty ratings mean, whether rehabilitation systems and games consoles differ, and what the evidence cannot tell clinicians.

Key findings

• Balance: screen-based VR improved balance more than conventional therapy, with a small effect (SMD 0.42, 95% CI 0.19 to 0.65; 11 trials, 630 participants). Certainty: low, as rated by the authors.
• Mobility: no statistically significant difference between VR and conventional therapy (SMD 0.18, 95% CI −0.03 to 0.40; 10 trials, 591 participants; moderate certainty). This does not show equivalence. The exergames studied did not include walking.
• Dose: programmes of 15 hours or more showed the clearest balance effect.
• Rehabilitation systems and entertainment consoles gave similar clinical results. That doesn’t settle differences in adaptation, supervision or monitoring.
• Only 5 of the 28 trials had a low risk of bias, all used screens rather than headsets, and few participants had advanced disease.
• A separate 2026 meta-analysis found Timed Up and Go and balance-confidence gains that met the minimal clinically important difference, particularly when VR was combined with physical therapy.
• The authors recommend VR as a complement to conventional therapy for balance, with exercises chosen for what they train.

Sources

1. Lheureux A, Lejeune T, Simons A, Gillis A, Everard G. Virtual reality effects on balance and mobility in people with Parkinson’s disease: a systematic review with meta-analysis. Ann Phys Rehabil Med 2025;68(6):101967. DOI: 10.1016/j.rehab.2025.101967 · PubMed 40253963
2. Xie L, Dai J. Dose-response relationship of virtual reality training in Parkinson’s disease: a meta-analysis of overall motor function, functional mobility, and balance confidence. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 2026 (online ahead of print). DOI: 10.1016/j.apmr.2026.02.490 · PubMed 41819338

Further reading

• Full written summary: Does VR improve balance in Parkinson’s disease?
• How to Choose a VR Rehabilitation System
• Immersive vs non-immersive VR: what’s the difference for therapy?
• Previous episode: Does VR Help Arm Recovery After Stroke?

This video is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Narration voice is AI-generated.