A Parisian hospital is pioneering virtual reality to help patients get through treatment without the usual stress.

A French doctor has used a new technique in an Emergency Room for the past year to help adult patients undergo simple surgeries.

He said virtual reality enables doctors to offer patients a technique to distract their attention.

In turn, this lowers the doses of painkillers.

Before treatment, patients put a virtual reality helmet on.

After several messages explaining the procedure and asking them to relax, the patient is then immersed in a relaxed environment accompanied by soothing music.

The anxiety and pain relief patterns used through virtual reality are very close to hypnosis.

Virtual reality has been strongly developed in the United States, with research mostly led by Mount Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles, whereas it is only starting to attract attention in a country where generous public funding of healthcare is conducive to extensive tranquilizer use.