Medical News Today shares the original story.
Phantom Pain is a common side effect for amputees. This condition causes a painful sensation in the amputated portion of the limb. Until recently, there hasn’t been a cure for this condition because doctors have not been able to figure out how to treat the part of the limb that is no longer there.
However, Dr. Herta Flor believes she has found a way to prevent phantom pain from occurring among amputees. How? Mind games.
At the EFIC Congress 2011 in Hamburg, Dr. Flor explains that doctors simply have to make the brain believe the limb is still there through neurofeedback techniques or creating optical illusions. At the end of treatment, researchers hope to trick the brain into believing the prosthetic is actually the original body part. The idea may seem a little out there, but researchers believe the human brain can be successfully manipulated.
Let’s hope their theory is right and phantom pains are no longer an issue for amputees!
Do you think this treatment will work?
Check out this video to learn what phantom pain is all about.
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