Mirrors used to treat amputees’ pain

[unhappycamper]

Senior Airman Christian Ivory flexes his hand Jan. 28 during a session of mirror therapy, a procedure used to ease phantom limb pain at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington D.C. Ivory lost his right hand when a homemade explosive device detonated as he was throwing it at a Veterans Day barbecue.


Mirrors used to treat amputees’ pain
By Kelly Kennedy - Staff writer
Posted : Sunday Feb 17, 2008 11:47:01 EST

In his mind, Senior Airman Christian Ivory, 22, still clutches the grenade that blew up his left hand in November.

Though the grenade destroyed his hand, which had to be amputated, he said the sharp, burning sensation that runs through his missing limb can’t be just his imagination.

“It feels like my hand is still holding something, like I’m still gripping something,” he said. “You know how when your hand falls asleep and it burns when it’s starting to wake back up? It’s like that, only about 20 times worse. It hurts like hell.”

A neurologist working with amputees at Walter Reed Army Medical Center believes he has “rediscovered” a cure for the phenomenon known as “phantom limb pain,” as well as a theory for what causes it.

“My feeling is if something works, there has to be a scientific explanation for it,” said Navy Cmdr. Jack Tsao, associate professor of neurology at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences.


Rest of article at: http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/2008/02/marine_mirrortherapy_080216/

[zalinda]

1. This is really good news

We it is and it isn't. Damn, I wish the limbs weren't missing, but I'm glad they can get rid of the pain.

zalinda