More than 70 percent of amputee patients feel pain in their missing limbs, sensations which can be debilitating and difficult to treat. While the cause of phantom pain is unknown, past research has suggested helping the patient’s brain see an intact limb can help provide relief, according to an article in Scientific American.
The study focused on a single patient who had been experiencing phantom pains in his missing lower arm for the past 48 years. Researchers designed a special treatment that used virtual reality technology to read signals from the patient’s point of amputation and convert them into an image of a moving arm. The virtual arm was then superimposed over a video of the patient recorded with a webcam.
The trial proved very successful, as the patient’s pain was greatly reduced, and he experienced several pain-free periods. Although the study was limited to a single patient, the researchers believe the findings warrant additional research into the use of virtual reality technology to treat phantom pain.
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