{"id":10482,"date":"2024-03-24T21:29:00","date_gmt":"2024-03-24T21:29:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/generic.wordpress.soton.ac.uk\/uosm2031-2024\/?p=10482"},"modified":"2024-03-24T21:37:06","modified_gmt":"2024-03-24T21:37:06","slug":"unlocking-the-mystery-of-the-phantom-limb-prosthetics-as-the-key-to-relief","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/generic.wordpress.soton.ac.uk\/uosm2031-2024\/2024\/03\/24\/unlocking-the-mystery-of-the-phantom-limb-prosthetics-as-the-key-to-relief\/","title":{"rendered":"Unlocking the Mystery of the Phantom Limb: Prosthetics as the Key to Relief"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

I recently read a novel by Norman Doidge called \u2018The Brain That Changes Itself\u2019, and a chapter that caught my attention was on phantom limb pain. After reading this chapter, I realised that people who have lost limbs have to endure more problems than just adjusting to life without a hand or leg. They also must deal with excruciating pain that, to us as outsiders, does not exist. Many of us do not have this problem. However, many people in this world do. There are around 500 million<\/a> amputees who have sadly lost a leg or arm due to disease, war, or accident. I believe the use of prosthetics and their advancement can help alleviate the pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The phantom pain phenomena<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

People who have this problem sometimes experience something known as phantom limb pain. This is when an amputee perceives pain in a limb that is no longer there. One of the main theories that draws my attention is the Central Theory: the brain tries to recreate a memory of the lost limb but fails because it does not receive feedback. I find this to be such an interesting phenomenon because, currently, there’s no guaranteed way to treat it; around 60-80% of amputees<\/a> experience phantom limb pain. I then began wondering if there are any ways that people have managed to help others with this problem, and interestingly, I found this fascinating article about a man who helps people with mirrors.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n

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Stephen has managed to \u2018cure\u2019 the phantom pain of many individuals using mirrors. As I study neuroscience, I find this impossible as there is no scientific basis. However, many people report that mirror therapy truly has helped them overcome the pain, including Stephen himself, and I cannot dispute this.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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