Virtual Reality Eases Phantom Limb Pain
From: ScienceDaily - 05/31/2017

Virtual Reality (VR) can relieve the sensation of phantom limb pain, report
researchers. A new test shows that VR technology can trick the amputee's
brain into thinking that it is still in control of a missing limb.

Researchers at Aalborg University in Denmark have developed a system that
uses virtual reality (VR) technology to relieve sufferers of phantom limb
pain. The method involves patients wearing VR goggles and a glove, while
electrodes are positioned on their residual limb to stimulate it with small
tiny electrical impulses in an attempt to regenerate the sensation of the
phantom hand. The amputees play different VR games in which they perform the
same actions with both hands, such as gripping a pole that has to be twisted
into different shapes or pushing different virtual buttons. In testing the
method at the China Rehabilitation Research Center in Beijing last fall, two
out of three amputees' phantom limb pain was eased, while the third suffered
phantom limb pain attacks less often. The system currently only works with
upper-body amputees, but Aalborg students are working to extend its usage for
lower-body amputees.

Read the entire article at:
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/05/170531102921.htm
https://www.mdtmag.com/news/2017/06/virtual-reality-eases-phantom-limb-pain

Links:
Phantom Limb Pain Eased Via Virtual Reality Mind-Control Trick
http://www.rehabpub.com/2017/06/phantom-limb-pain-eased-via-virtual-reality-mind-control-trick

Reduce Phantom Pain in Paraplegics by Virtual Reality? It’s Possible,
  Researchers Suggest
http://www.rehabpub.com/2017/10/reduce-phantom-pain-paraplegics-virtual-reality-possible-researchers-suggest