This is something I think will help an awful lot of you guys suffering with chronic phantom pain and just don't know what to do about it.
In a recent consultation with my surgeon he suggested that I have a look at a talk by neuroscientist Vilayanur Ramachandran on youtube about mirror neurons which I did indeed find interesting. I then 'wikipedia ed' him and found something that he had devised to help with phantom pain following his studies of the human brain.
I strongly urge you all to check out this link http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mirror_box
I personally don't suffer too much from pain as I have learnt how to control it mentally but I have tried doing this 'mirror box' by simply placing a reasonably sized mirror on its side, putting an arm either side of the mirror and then looking at the reflection of my good arm moving about. To see how your brain is tricked is quite something to experience and I am convinced it will help my brain to regrow my nerves faster .... which will make sense if you watch the youtube clip as well.
Hope it helps!
Kate
Mirror Box and Phantom Pain
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Sherrise
- Posts: 5
- Joined: Mon Aug 02, 2010 5:43 pm
- Injury Description, Date, extent, surgical intervention etc: My son suffers from a TBPI received on May 15, 2009 in a Motorcycle accident that also took the life of his best friend. He has global avulsion, currently no sensation or movement of his right arm. He had nerve transfer surgery done by Dr. Scott Kozin at Shriner's hospital in Philadelphia, PA on August 30, 2009.
Re: Mirror Box and Phantom Pain
Kate! This is wonderful advice. I actually just made a mirror box for my son to start using for therapy. I will keep you all posted on how it works out for him. We're really hopeful to at least get some relief of pain, and even maybe start getting those nerve endings working!!
Sherrise
Sherrise
Re: Mirror Box and Phantom Pain
Read Ramanchardan's book: "Phantoms in the Brain"