The primary goal of virtual reality (VR) training for neck-injured people is to empower them to manage their own condition – guided by clinicians. Despite ever growing body of scientific knowledge, much of it remains confined to universities and is transferred into clinical practice only to a limited extent. This gap reflects the founder of Odin Neck Games experience from 40+ years of treating people with neck and back pain, combined with over 20+ years in academia.

Many factors contribute to this gap, but one of the most important is the low priority given to musculoskeletal disorders—especially uncomplicated neck pain—within modern medicine¹. This is despite low back pain and neck pain ranking first and fourth worldwide, respectively, for years lived with disability (YLDs), according to the World Health Organization (WHO)². More is spent on treating neck pain than on diabetes, ischemic heart disease, or fall³.

Odin Neck Games draws inspiration from Norse mythology and Nordic landscapes to deliver evidence-based virtual reality therapies for people with neck pain after injuries. Odin, the All-Father, returns from Valhalla to the origins described in Snorri Sturluson’s 13th-century Prose Edda⁴, accompanied by his legendary companions, symbolizing the fusion of ancient wisdom with modern rehabilitation.

Odin Neck Games is the first suite of serious virtual reality exergames to address all aspects of neck dysfunctions in a clinical setting. This science-backed approach combines entertainment and learning through animated, figurative, and metaphorical experiences that are accessible to people from diverse social, religious, and cultural backgrounds.

Clutter and Odin Neck Games align with the WHO’s Rehabilitation 2030: A Call for Action, which emphasizes accessible and effective rehabilitation⁵. WHO’s emphasis is drawn from the prior conclusions made by the Neck Pain Task Force (NPTF)⁶, an initiative established by WHO and the UN. Over a six-year period, the NPTF produced 23 articles that remain a leading source of evidence on WHY healthcare must shift direction for the growing population of people with neck pain. The NPTF identified recurrent episodes as one of the most defining characteristics of neck pain^{6, 7}. This is consistent with the PAIN 50th Anniversary Supplement Editorial, which concludes that current rehabilitation for Neck Pain provides only modest short-term improvements in pain and disability⁸.

In practice, meaningful recovery is mostly limited to people with mild-moderate non-traumatic neck pain. Those with neck injuries and moderate to severe pain often continue to experience persistent pain and disability because the underlying biological, psychological, social, and pain-related factors are not adequately addressed. As the global burden of neck pain is projected to rise by about 32.5% between 2020 and 2050, more effective rehabilitation is urgently needed⁹.

This editorial presents the founder’s rationale and perspective on clinical practice. It does not report evidence of the effectiveness of Odin Neck Games or Clutter.

References

1. Haldeman S (2011). Is it time to discard the term “diagnosis” when examining a person with uncomplicated axial neck pain? Commentary. The Spine Journal 11: 177–179.
2. Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. https://www.healthdata.org
3. Nguyen AT, Aris IM, Snyder BD, Harris MB, Kang JD, Murray M, Rodriguez EK, Nazarian A (2024). Musculoskeletal health: an ecological study assessing disease burden and research funding. Lancet Regional Health Americas 29:100661
4. Sturluson, S (2005). The Prose Edda. Translated by Jesse Byock. Penguin Books. (Original work composed c. 1220)
5. Briggs AM, Dreinhöfer KE (2017). Rehabilitation 2030: a call to action relevant to improving musculoskeletal health care globally. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 47:297–300
6. Guzman J, Hurwitz E, Carroll L, Haldeman S, Côté P, et al. (2008) Results of the Bone and Joint Decade 2000-2010 Task Force on Neck Pain and its Associated Disorders. Spine 33: 1-220.
7. Kristjansson E (2020). Critical considerations about the onset and epidemiology of whiplash associated disorders presented by the bone and joint decade 2000-2010 task force on neck pain. Archives of Epidemiology and Public Health 1: 1–4. DOI: 10.15761/AEPH.1000115
8. Cashin AG, Sterling M (2025). Optimising physical rehabilitation for people with musculoskeletal pain. PAIN 166:131–135.
9. “GBD 2021 Neck Pain Collaborators,” (2024) Global, regional, and national burden of neck pain, 1990–2020, and projections to 2050: a systematic analysis of the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021. Lancet Rheumatology 6 (3); E142–E155. DOI: 10.1016/S2665-9913(23)00321-1