Mirror Box and Phantom Pain
Posted: Mon Jul 26, 2010 9:51 am
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
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