To Fool Our Brains

I read an amazing story on the BBC website yesterday that addressed phantom pains. Phantom pains are excruciating painful for people who have had limbs amputated. The pain they feel is in a limb that has been surgically removed. When I worked at a nursing home in Roseville I had a patient who we called Frenchy. I think he preferred that nickname, at least I hope he did. He was a veteran and he had a strong French accent. His left leg was amputated below the knee. He had terrible itching and pain in his left foot. He would complain about it especially in the evenings. His left foot felt like it was being burned. His left foot itched terribly. He begged us to scratch his foot. During the day, Frenchy was a jovial gentleman but in the evening, around 8 or 9 p.m., Frenchy was in agony, night after night. He would moan and scream in pain. There was nothing we could do. There was no medication to give him and no foot to sooth. I'll never forget his misery. Now they have come up with a new and innovative treatment for phantom pains. Using mirrors, therapists massage the remaining limb while the patient watches. As the massage continues, the sensations and the relief goes to the phantom limb. The patient's brain is fooled into thinking the missing limb is being massaged. One person said their phantom pain disappeared for 10 to 15 minutes. This technique won't work on the skeptical. You have to be open to the possibility this might work to succeed. Isn't the human brain amazing?